The History of the Hunger Games
by Alexis2259
Summary: Where did the idea of the Hunger Games come from? In this story, Young Annelise is witnessing the original Hunger Games in the year 2020.
1. The beginning

_To whom it may concern,_

_The U.S. government has declared that each state will send in 2 tributes, 1 male and 1 female between 12-18, to the Hunger Games. The tributes will be selected by a lottery held at the state capitol on June 1s, 2020. Each name will be entered once. Volunteers to take the place of a tribute will be allowed. Every one is required to attend. The tributes selected will be taken to Washington D.C. into an arena to fight to the death. The arena will vary. It could be anything from wilderness, to an icy tundra, to a beach. If the two tributes from the same state are the last alive, they will be declared winners. If there fellow tribute should die, the remaining tribute can still win. The winner will recieve a life of ease back home with fame and fortune. Losing will mean certain death. The games will occur once a year on June 1st, and everyone is required to watch the games. They can last anywhere from days, to weeks. Attacthed is a form you are required to fill out, registering all children between 12-18. It must be mailed to your state capitol by May 15th_

_Let the games begin._

* * *

><p>I stare down at the letter. My mouth is hanging open in shock. June 1st is only 2 months away. Why is this happening? No, I know why this is happening. The uprisings. This is the governments way of stopping us. I immediatly worry. What if im picked? What if my younger brother or sister is picked? Becca, only 12 years old, and Daniel, 14 years old. All three of us will be going to be in that lottery. I will be going in with the 16 year old group. Me, Annalise. The shy girl, the one who has only a handful of friends. The girl who has never killed a fly, let alone a person. If any of us has a chance to win, it would be Daniel. But I cant let him go in. I just hope that if he does get chosen, he is prepared for the worse. Maybe someone will volunteer for him if he is chosen. I know if Becca's name is chosen, im taking her place. The next thought that runs through my mind is to train. If we have to go in, we better have some idea how to survive.<p>

I walk into the house and yell for everyone to come into the dining room. Everyone sits down at the table and stares at me. I begin to read the letter. After I finish, i can see my mother has tears welling up in her eyes. My father keeps his calm demeanor, but I can see the anger boiling up inside of him. Daniel and Becca are in utter shock. I let the news sink in. My dad speakes up.

"Well, I can't say i'm suprised."

I just look at him. He is leaned back slightly in his chair, with his arms folded over his chest. We look just alike. Me, Becca, and Daniel have the same dark brown hair with chocolate eyes. Becca got our mother's tanned skin where Daniel and I have our father's fair skin. My mother, who's emerald green eyes are fighting back tears, grabs me and holds me in her arms. I pat her back, reminding her everything will be fine. I push her black hair behind her ear and tell her to stay strong for us. She nods slightly and sits back down. After a moment of silence, I suggest my idea. "I think we should start training now. Maybe get some survival books from the library and put it to use as much as possible. We should train with weapons, work on our cardio and strength. Start controlling how much we eat now, so we can last longer in the arena." Everyone nods in agreement. Dad offers to take us to the library to get all the books we need. Becca stays home with mother to start with our workout and diet plan. We hop into his truck and make our way to the library


	2. Preparing

As we enter the library, I notice about 5 other kids. They must be looking for the same thing. One cathces my eye. "Hey, Kaitlynn!" She smiles and waves. I walk over to her. She is holding a book in her hand. the title reads _Survivers guide to the Wilderness: Edible plants._ She notices and says, "I'm guessing you got the letter." I nod. "Well I know they only have about 10 of these, but you can borrow it on the days im not using it if you cant get a copy. I smile and say thanks. We have been best friends since we were young, and I know that we are going to help each other out. I tell her that I will call her later and I start scanning the shelves for more books. I come across 3 books I need. One is _The art of fire-making._ Im sure this will come in handy. The other two are _Survivng with what the earth gives you,_ and I manage to grab a copy of the book Kaitlynn had.

I rush back to father, and hand him the books. Daniel has found some books on knot tying, camoflaging, and hunting. We both have been hunting with father a few times, but a little extra knowledge can't hurt. We walk up to the librarian to check out. She must know about it already too, because she wishes us good luck. I thank her and walk out.

When we arive home, mother has all of our plans ready. She has given us each 2 hours a day to work on different areas. First, I will do cardio with mother, then strength with dad, then I have 2 hours to read the books. After all the training, mother will prepare our food which she based on our weight, height, age, and amount of exercise we do. Then we have the rest of the day to practice with a different weapon each day. I decide I want to work with knives first.

The next two months are brutal. Mother and father become more like drill sargents than parents. We finish a week before the lottery is to be held. Mother and father give us a test that will test what we have learned the past few months. There will be written parts as well as physical tests. If we don't pass it, they are going to make us train extra hard, longer until June 1st. But I think we all have it down. I have definitely noticed the muscle we all gained, the extra pounds we shed. We can all run a full mile in 5 minutes and have become something of a wiz with fire and hunting. We all learned how to set snares, throw knives, axes, swords, shoot guns, a bow and arrow, and even some hand-to-hand combat techniques. Kaitlynn even came and trained with us a few times, and she shared her knowledge on edible plants, which sadly we all lacked to pay attention to the first few weeks of training. For the first time, a flicker of hope came up that if one of us had to go in, we could make it. Then, I remember that we might have to face 98 other tributes, who have probably been training as well.


	3. Tests

I lay in my bed, wrapped in the warmth of the thick blanket. My dreams are all the same: Me, running, many people pursuing me with every weapon I can think of. Just as I trip, everyone is gone in a flash. Then its just me, staring into open space. Suddenly, I can't breath. My lungs fill with toxic gas and I start heaving and making horrible choking sounds. Just as I am about to fall unconcious, my eyes shoot open. I'm dripping in sweat, and struggling for air. I stare up at the celing, catching my breath. Some one knocks at my door.

"Annelise, it's almost time to take your tests," Father says.

I rip the covers off my body and walk to the door. I'm greeted by father with a smile, and I return it. "I'm going to hop into the shower real quick." I tell him. He gives me a nod and says, "Ok, but be ready in 30 minutes for the written part of the test." I nod and walk to the bathroom. I turn the water on and let it soak my body. I can't stop thinking about the dream. It makes me wonder what I could encounter in the arena if I was chosen. But the odds of me or my two siblings being chosen was very slim. There are thousands and thousands of people in my state, Kentucky. I'm sure I won't get chosen.

I wash my hair and scrub my body. When I rinse all the soap off, I step out into the humid bathroom air. I dress into black sweatpants and a simple blue t-shirt. I brush my hair out. My thick, wavy, brown hair that falls down to my ribs. I pull it up into a high ponytail and secure it with a black hair tie and slip on a black hair band. Time for the tests. I meet Becca and Daniel at the dining room table. Mother and father walk in with a stack of papers and 3 pencils.

"Good, luck. You guys are going to do great" Mother says.

"Just remember everything we have been learning the past two months." Father adds.

He hands us the papers and we begin. The first 20 questions are a snap, and I fly through them. The next 15 are a little more difficult, but I think I did pretty well. After we finish the test, we do the physical tests next. First is hand-to-hand combat. Father takes turns with us. Daniel and I take him down easily. Becca has to try twice before she gets him down. After that we do weapons. I find i'm pretty good with a sword. Daniel is a wiz with knives and Becca can take down anything from atleast 40 yards away with a spear. After that, we do knot tying, fire starting, edible plants, setting snares, and tree climbing. Becca is like a squirrel, climbing to the thinnest of branches quickly. Daniel and I can climb, but not as high due to our weight. I can start a fire in under 15 minutes, and Daniel and Becca take atleast 30 to start it. Daniel can set snares with his eyes closed. Becca and I are pretty nifty with snares aswell. Daniel, Becca and I all fly through the edible plants without a hitch. We all are timed on our 2 mile run. All three of us zoom through in 10 minutes.

"Nice job, kids. I think we can safely say you all passed the physical portion." Father says. "Wait until your mother is done grading your written tests, then we will address what needs improvement, and what your strategy should be if you are chosen." I notice he winces at the thought of one of us going in. Yea, I dont like the idea either, but we are powerless when it comes to the government. I remember, not too long ago, when we were a peaceful country. But then, in 2015, new laws were put in place. Everyone was furious, saying it took away our rights as Americans. Shortly after, in 2017, groups from different states started talks of rebellion. Two years later, the uprisings started in every state. The government responded back, executing all the rebels. Now they are trying to keep us under control by forcing 100 teens to fight each other. Well, message recieved. No one has even said the word rebellion since then. I just wonder if these games will ever stop and what will happen many years from now. I hope the people who come after us can live in peace.

Mother comes in. "You all passed with flying colors!" She has a huge smile on her face that stretches from ear to ear. She must have hope that we could survive this thing.


	4. The reaping

This is it. This is the day we have been preparing for since we got the letter. Everyone is nicknaming the lottery "The Reaping." Everyone is expected to dress nicely, and I have on a deep purple dress that stops at my knees, black sandals and my hair is in a curly bun with a few loose strands hanging down. Becca looks like a little pixie with a blue dress. Her hair is tied up with a matching blue ribbon. Daniel is in a simple red flannel shirt and dress pants. We all hop into the truck and start our journey to Franfort, Kentucky. It is about a hour and a half drive, and all traffic is heading to the same place.

When we finally arrive, father parks the truck and we head to the capitol building. A stage has been built infront of the building and two chairs sit in the middle, with a microphone in front of them. Two glass balls stand on each side of the stage filled with thousands of slips of paper. One for the boys and one for the girls. Some where in the girls, Becca Stague and Annelise Stague are written on them. In the boys, Daniel Stague.

There are 14 sections roped off for each age group and gender. The 18 year old males and females are the closest to the stage, while the 12 year old males and females are at the back. Everyone else surrounds the sections. Everyone is silent, some are crying. Im holding on to Becca's hand, while Daniel has her other one. We all give each other a reassuring hug and head to our sections.

I find myself next to Kaitlynn and she gives me a weak smile. I hug her and we stand with our arms linked together. Waiting for the reaping to start. The mayor of Frankfort claims one of the two chairs. An older lady, probably mid 40s steps onto the stage. She is wearing a black pencil skirt, with a white ruffled blouse. She has on black high heels and her blonde hair is in a tight bun on the back of her head.

"Welcome citizens of Kentucky. The time has come to select one male and one female to represent Kentucky in our first ever Hunger Games!" She says. Her voice is very high and nasally voice. It kind of irritates me the more she talks.

"My name is DeAnne Carter and I will be the tributes escort. Now I will turn it over to the mayor to explain how the games work and some other details."

The crowd gives a weak clap as the mayor steps infront of the microphone. He begins by telling how we ended up in the position we are in now. Then he lets us know how the games work.

"2 of you will be going to Washington D.C. into a vast arena that can be any type of terrain. The tributes elected will go through an opening ceremony, called 'The Parade of the Tributes.' After, you will train for 3 days will specialists in each area needed for survival. Tributes will have a private training session and will recieve a score ranging from 1-12, with 12 being the highest, and 1 the lowest." He says.

"Each tribute will have a prep team and a stylist to prepare them for the parade and interviews. After the tribute is selected, they will have an hour to say goodbye to friends and family." Then he goes on to tell us about sponsors, and how each set of tributes will meet their mentor on the plane ride to D.C.

"Your mentor will be your lifeline in the arena. They control what sponsorship gifts get through to you and will help plan your strategy." He pauses for a moment and says, "Let the reaping begin, and may the odds be ever in your favor." With that he takes his seat and DeAnne steps back up to the microphone.

"Well, I couldn't have said it better myself. May the odds be ever in your favor! Now it's time to select the female tribute. She makes her way over to the girls ball. She reaches into it, stirring the names around. She pulls out a slip of paper and makes her way back to the microphone. She opens the slip of paper, and reads out the name.


	5. Goodbyes

"Annelise Stague." She reads from the paper. Kaitlynn tightens her grip, making me realize that I am falling. I catch my self and look at Kaitlynn. She is in danger of crying, and so am I. I hear two crys for my name, one male and one female. I make my way through the crowd and up to the steps of the stage. Becca and Daniel are pushing through the crowd aswell. They both grab on to me and I hug them both. We stand like this until DeAnne speaks, "Annelise, please come up to the stage."

Becca looks at me and whispers to me, "Can I volunteer for you?" she asks, in a voice that makes her sound as if she was only 5. I give her a stern look, and mouth the words 'No' as the police lift me up onto the stage. All cameras are on me, so I try and hide my emotions. I feel anger at Becca's ridiculous request. This anger is what keeps me from crying. DeAnne makes her way to the boy's ball. She reaches in and removes her hand bringing with it another slip. Whoever's name is on that one slip of paper will become my ally, my life line, and best friend in the arena. I just hope it's not Daniel...

She makes her way back to the microphone and opens up the slip, reading the name. It's not Daniel's, and I feel a flood of relief sweeping over me. The name it reads is Marcus Williams. A boy from the 17 year old group steps on stage. I hate to admit it, but he is quite handsom. He has tanned skin, and crystal blue eyes. His hair is short and light brown. He is about 5 inches taller than me, and obviously works out because he has a very muscular build. He is wearing a green button-up shirt and khakis. He steps on the stage. I glance at him and he catches my eye. He gives his head a slight nod and turns to face the crowd. I look down at my shoes as DeAnne says, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the tributes for Kentucky, Annelise Stague and Marcus Williams!"

The crowd only gives a small clap that ends quickly. I spot my parents as the national anthem plays, and I see my mother's face buried into father's shirt. He is pushing back tears too. As the anthem ends, Marcus and I are escorted into the building. We are put into seperate rooms. I sit on a couch and wait for my visitors. As expected, my family is first. Becca sits on my lap, and Daniel next to me holding on. He always acts like a grown up, but now he acts Becca's age, clinging to me. I wrap my arms around both of them. Mother and father pull up chairs in front of us. Mother is holding on to father, but is trying to stay strong for me.

"Promise me one thing," I say. "No matter what happens on that screen, you will stay strong and live life like normal." This brings a round of sobs from my mother. Becca and Daniel are crying as well, but father is just studying me.

"I know you can win, Annelise," Father says. "With that boy Marcus, you two can really win this." I think about this for a moment.

"98 other tributes will be in that arena with me and him. Odds are that they will be well prepared and just as strong. I'm gonna need luck on my side too."

He stares at me again. Becca has stopped crying. She speaks in a timid voice, "Promise me you will never give up, that you won't go down without a fight and you will try your hardest to win." She is looking at me with her chcolate eyes, that are full of sadness, but something else. I see hope in her eyes.

"I swear I will." I wrap her in my arms and kiss the top of her head. Daniel wipes his eyes and says, "Remember what we learned, and find out Marcus's skills. If anyone can win this, it's you. Except maybe me." He gives me a small grin and I cant help but let out a small laugh. Mother has come up from father's shirt and kisses my cheek.

"We all know you can do this. We have faith in your abilities. You are a special girl, Annelise." I give a faint smile and we all embrace as a police officer steps in letting us know our time is up. They leave and my next guest is Kaitlynn. She runs in and Hugs me. We sit in each other's arms, crying. Finally, she wipes away the tears and hands me a necklace. It is on a golden chair and has a pendant that hangs down. The blue stone is a deep color, and she says, "I know you have seen me wear this. It was my grandma's and i want you to wear it. Plus, I think sapphire looks good on you." She smiles and I return it.

"Are you sure, it looks very expensive and it seems like it's important." I say. "Don't worry about it. I know you will be able to give it back to me."

"I'm not so sure I will be coming home, Kaitlynn." I say. She stands up from her chair and gives me a gentle, but stern slap across the cheek.

"You are coming home, Annelise! Don't talk like that! I've seen what you can do, you have the same chance as anyone, if not a better one!" Her voice is rising, so I grab her shoulders and push her back into her seat.

"Ok, ok Kaitlynn. I will be back." She calms down a bit. She hugs me again and the police officer escorts her out. I have time for one more visitor and I wonder who it will be. As the door opens, I see a girl, probably Becca's age, and she is wearing a white dress. She resembles my fellow tribute, Marcus. Her Light brown hair is braided over her shoulder and secured with a gold bow. She comes in and takes a seat in front of me.

"Hi, Annelise. My name is Jane. I'm Marcus's sister."

"Hi, Jane. It's nice to meet you." I say. She begins talking again.

"Look, I know you want to win, right? Well, I want you to help Marcus win too. You see, it's only him, our father and me. Dad hasn't been ablee to work for a while, so Marcus has been working to take care of us. We can't lose him. He is my big brother. Promise me you will help him to win too." She says. For someone her age, she talks like she is in her 30s. She probably had to mature pretty fast. Of course i was going to protect him. If two could win, it makes more sense to. By the sounds of it, he is a surviver. That's exactly the one thing I couldn't brign into that arena. Real life experience.

"I promise. Both of us will be coming home." She studies me for a minute and then says, "Good. And good luck." She stands and walks out the door. I still have about 10 minutes left. I decide now would be a good time to let out all my feelings. I start crying into a pillow. Then anger takes over me. I start screaming and throwing the pillows around. After all my anger is out, I just feel numb. I stare up at the ceiling for the rest of my time, until the officer comes in and takes me to a car to go to the airport. Marcus gets on right after me, and we are instructed into a room with 2 couches and a table in the center to meet our mentor. This isn't an ordinary plane. It's designed more like a train. Marcus and I sit on the couch in silence for quite some time before our mentor comes in. As the door slides open, I make out his figure. A tall man. He steps into the room and I immediatly recognize him. He looks just like me.

My mentor will be my father.


	6. The Trip

For a moment, I'm utterly confused. Then I feel anger building up inside of me. I'm on my feet and find my self running to him.  
>"What are you doing here! Why didn't you tell me you were going to be a mentor!" I'm yelling and I'm in his face. I realize who I'm speaking to and take a step back.<br>"Sorry, but why didn't you tell me this?" I ask. He gives me a stern smile and replies, "I don't see how it would of made a difference. Think of it like this, you have the upper hand now. I know what you can do, what strategy will be the best for you and your strengths and weaknesses." I take this in consideration for a moment. I guess it's true. If he already knows what I can do, that gives us more time to find out about Marcus's skills and ability and plan what to do in the arena.  
>"Ok, but I expect some pretty good gifts in the arena." I say with a smile. He lets out a laugh. "That's only if we can find someone who's willing to take you on." Marcus is standing next to me now. He reaches out his hand to my father. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Stague." My father reaches his hand out and they shake hands. "And you too." He replies back. It's time for us to eat lunch and we are directed to the dining area. They start us off with some warm buns and butter. Next, we have some steak with mashed potatoes and macaroni. We indulge into our meal and when we finish they bring out a triple chocolate cake. My mouth starts watering at all the chocolate, chocolate cake with chocolate icing and chocolate chips sprinkled on the side. I know I should be eating healthy, so I limit myself to one small piece. After I finish with the cake I wipe my mouth with a napkin.<br>"Now lets get down to business." Father says. "Marcus, what skills do you have. Any weapons your handy with?" Marcus nods.  
>"I'm a pretty good shot with a gun. And not too bad with knives either."<br>"How fast can you run?" Father asks.  
>"I can do a mile in a little over 6 minutes. I'm really good with edible plants too." He says.<br>Father seems pleased. "Well, you two are going to have to work together in that arena if you want to make it out alive. I would recommend that you find 4 other tributes who have valuable skills, but you can trust. Annelise, I know you're a pretty good judge of character, so trust your gut when choosing allies." I look at Marcus, "I'll run my pickings by you before we make any decisions."  
>"And I will too." He says. He gives me a small grin. I nod and we all go into the TV room to watch the recap of all the reapings. After about 16 others, it's our states turn and I watch as Becca and Daniel panic and cling to me. I see many tears in the crowd at the sight of this, but quickly dismiss it as I feel tears starting to form. Then Marcus's name is called and he makes his way to the stage. He looks as if he doesn't care, or he knew it would happen. No shock registered on his face at all. I glance over at him, his face still clean of emotions. Only one reaping really interests me. In Michigan, the boy tribute's name is called and he runs up to the stage and starts yelling obscenities at his escort. He turns to the camera and tells the nation to, uh.. Lets just say he invited their lips to his bottom. The camera's cut for a split second, but not before a gun shot rings through and sounds of screams come after.<br>After 2 minutes of blackness, the reaping reappears and the escort babbles on, "Well, looks like our male tribute had a bit of an accident. We will re-select the male tribute." He pulls a name out of the glass ball and reads, "Evan Newman." A small boy, probably 13, waddles up to the stage, and they cut to the next state. I look at father, "Something about that boy from Michigan was familiar." I sat.  
>"Yea, that's your cousin. You have only met him twice, once when he was born and once about 5 years ago." Father replies. I hope someone kills him so I don't have to. I think to myself. I shock myself at this thought, and quickly banish it from my head.<br>"I want him as an ally." I quickly state.  
>Marcus looks at me and raises his eyebrows. "Thanks for running that by me."<br>I look at him, slightly annoyed. "Well, he's my cousin. I think I can trust him."  
>"But that means trusting the girl too." He says.<br>"I don't care. Once she knows were family, she will trust us, because she will know I'm not making a plan to kill them." I say, clearly annoyed.  
>He notices this and says, "Ok, ok. Just thought you should think before doing anything to rational." He says, not looking at me.<br>"Annelise, thinking before she acts? No, that doesn't happen, she acts first and thinks later, no matter how bad an idea it is." Father says laughing. Marcus joins in on his laughter. I already don't like either of them, and we are only 2 hours into the trip. I get up and go to my room before anything else is said.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Hey everyone, sorry about all the spelling mistakes in the previous chapters. I didn't have spell check then, but I do now :D Anyways, thanks for reading. Enjoy! **_


	7. Style

I step into my room, and am amazed at it. The bed is big enough to fit 3 people,and it has a dark purple cover and pillows that match the color of my reaping

dress. I have my own personal bathroom, with many sweet-smelling soaps and candles. I get into the shower and turn the water on. I let out a small yelp

when the hot water touches my skin. I reach for the knob and turn it down some. It's like my shower at home, but much roomier and has a set of speakers to play

music. I don't want to listen to music right now. I'm not in the mood. I grab some shampoo that smells like coconut and wash my hair. I wash my body with a

body wash that smells like a mix of apples and oranges. By the time I step out of the shower, I smell like a fruit basket. There are dryers that are

on the ceiling and floor, so i turn them on and stand as they dry my body and hair. I brush out my hair and put it into my regular high ponytail. I slip into

a simple black t-shirt and jeans. I lay down on the bed and turn the TV on and watch some cooking shows. After about 4 hours I start to feel hungry and go to

the dining room. Marcus and Father are already there, and are enjoying some delicious looking soup. I grab a bowl and sit at the chair furthest away from

either of them.

"Well, look who decided to make an appearance." My father says sarcastically. I act like I didn't hear him and continue eating my soup.

"Annelise, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to be a jerk." Marcus says. I look up and stare at him, trying to see if he is being sarcastic or not.

But he sincerely looks sorry.

"It's fine. I guess I was being a little moody." I say back. Not really, but no need to use up energy being angry.

"Don't start going soft on me now, boy." Father says. Marcus smiles back and returns to his soup. We wait for our next course and it is a baked potato with

butter and spices, and a salad. We dig in.

I walk to my room after dinner is done and hop into bed. I quickly drift into sleep. When I wake up in the morning, I make my way to the dining room, where I find Marcus sitting alone. Father must still be sleeping. We are served fried eggs, bacon, toast with jelly, and hash browns. I only eat my eggs and toast, not really hungry. Me and Marcus go to the TV room and watch a special about the Hunger Games.

"I can't believe any of this is happening. It all seems like a bad dream." Marcus says. I look at him.

"I know what you mean. And the odds of us winning is very slim. But I made a promise to my family and your sister that I would win." I say. He raises his eyebrows at me.

"My sister?"

I nod. "She came and visited me and told me to protect you and made me promise we would win." He

seems surprised.

"Huh, did she say anything else?" He asks.

"Yea, she told me about your home situation. I'm sorry to hear about your father." I reply.

"Thanks, but don't be sorry. I don't like people feeling sorry for me." I nod and we watch the rest of the program. Father joins us in the TV room.

"Hey kiddos. Sorry I missed breakfast. Anything interesting happen?" I shake my head. He pats me on the head

"We should be landing soon. Tomorrow we will be preparing for the parade." Suddenly, a voice comes over the intercom.

"Attention, tributes. Dinner will not be served on the plane. You will be having your dinner in the white house with the rest of your fellow tributes and the president." And then he signs off. The plane lands and we are escorted into the White House. DeAnne joins us. I almost forgot she was with us, she was in her room the entire time, working on our schedules. Marcus and I are taken to separate rooms. The room is painted a royal blue color with tan carpets and brown chairs against the wall. I take a seat until 3 people come into the room. They are quite a sight. One is wearing leopard print skinny jeans and a leopard jacket. Her hair is an un-natural red color and falls to her knees. The other two are a little more simple, but not much. They are wearing matching bright pink capris, and one has a bright yellow shirt and brown hair, in spikes all around her head, while the other has a simple white shirt with a floral design on the front and bright blonde hair that is very curly.

"Hello darling! We are your prep team. My name is Jasmine!" The girl with the leopard print

says. "And this is Lori," pointing to the girl with the spiky hair. "And this is Heather." Jasmine says, pointing to the blonde.

"It's nice to meet you." I reply, trying to be sweet.

"So, I'm guessing your here to get me ready for dinner?"

"Yes we are! You will meet your stylist, Amber, after we finish. She will be dressing you. But don't worry, she is absolutely amazing!" She says,

with a voice so low, it almost sounds male.

"Go get changed into this robe so we can begin." Says Lori. I walk into the bathroom and change. It looks exactly like the one on the plane. I step out and the team lays me on a table they set up and begin. They wax every part of my body. They use tweezers to yank left over hair off my body. After, they rub some sort of lotion on my skin to soothe it. I feel relief and close my eyes as they begin to do my nails and hair. I must have dozed off, because they gently shake me to do my make-up. They cover my face in powder and put on mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow and blush. When they finish, they all step back and admire their work.

"Oh she looks gorgeous!" Heather says. The other two nod in agreement.

"Annelise, Amber will be here in a few minutes, so sit tight until then." Jasmine says. They step out and I fiddle with my nails. They are painted a dark blue color. _It looks like sapphires._ I think. _Oh shoot! I left Kaitlynn's necklace on the plane_! I start to panic a little, until Amber walks in. She is holding the necklace in her hand.

"Hello Annelise. I think you forgot something on the plane." She tosses it to me and I catch it.

"Oh thank you. I thought I had forgot it!" I say. Amber looks more normal than my prep team. She is wearing a black leather jacket that stops just at her rib cage. Under it she has a tight white tank top and black pants. Her face is relatively clear of makeup, except for a deep red lipstick and mascara. Her black hair is short, stopping right above her shoulders.

"Well Annelise, I brought you a beautiful dress to wear tonight." She pulls it out of the bag she is carrying. It is a beautiful blue that matches my nails and necklace. She slips it on over my head and has me stand in front of a mirror. The dress is strapless and flows to the floor and is made with a material I don't know the name of. My hair is curled and pulled into a low side ponytail. I look absolutely stunning. I feel like I am the precious gem on my necklace, beautiful, hard to find.

"I love it. You are amazing. How did you know I had a sapphire necklace?" I ask.

"I saw it when they filmed you boarding the plane." She says. "The color really brings out your eyes." A smile creeps up on my lips.

"Thanks. My best friend gave it to me. She wants me to wear it in the arena."

Amber nods and fixes the dress on me and has me twirl in it. I step into the shoes that match the dress and have about a 3 inch heel. I wobble around in them before I get the hang of it.

"Perfect. Looks like it's time for dinner." Amber says.


	8. The President's Banquet

I step into the hallway as Marcus comes out. He is in a black tuxedo with a vest and bow-tie that matches my dress perfectly.

"You look great." He says to me. I blush a little and thank him.

"You don't look too bad yourself." I reply.

"Ok, they want all the tributes to link arms with their fellow tribute." Amber says. I slid my arm through Marcus's an we walk down the hallway. I feel awkward linking arms with him, but we are partners, allies, friends, whatever you want to call us. We are lined up with the other 98 tributes in order by state alphabetically. We are going to be the 17th pair of tributes to enter. I look around at all my opponents. All the guys are wearing tuxedos with a vest and bow-tie that match the girl's dresses, like Marcus, so it makes me feel better that we aren't the only matching pair. Some of the others are very intimidating. I am probably one of the smallest female tributes in my age group. Marcus is probably one of the more muscular and taller male tributes, but I spot a few who look stronger. One looks like he is on steroids or something. I make a mental note to see what he is capable of in training.

The announcer begins calling off the states and tribute names. Finally they call mine and Marcus's name. We descend the spiral stair case into a massive room. The room itself is bigger than my entire house with cameras dotted around at different spots in the room. A spotlight follows us and I give a winning smile. Marcus is waving with his free hand and has a dazzling smile on his face. This is the time to start winning sponsors, I think. Of course they will go for the more charming and good-looking tributes. As we reach the bottom of the stairs, they call the next state and we are directed to a long rectangular table in the center of the room. Marcus and I are seated next to each other. We sit and watch as the rest of the tributes file in. Evan is so tiny next to his fellow tribute, who looks to be about 18. I giggle a little at the sight of them.

After the last state is announced. We stand and face the flag with our right hand over our hearts' as the national anthem blares through the room. The anthem ends and we all sit down as they announce President Stone. He enters the room and a round of applause bursts out. All the tributes hesitate a little, seeing as he is the man sending us to our possible deaths. He is a short, plump man with hair that is a reddish color and skin that is almost ghostly. He takes a seat at the end of the table on a chair that looks like a throne.

"Welcome, welcome tributes of America! So glad you decided to join us for this feast." He says. Yea, as if we have a choice. I think to myself. A bell dings and waiters pour out of the kitchen to take our orders.

"Keep it healthy." Marcus reminds me. I nod and order a salad with grilled chicken and a glass of water. Marcus orders the same thing. All the tributes seem to be examining one another, so I decide to as well. I catch Evan's eye and give him a small wave. I can see recognition cross his eyes at the sight of me. He gives me an unsure wave then continues examining the others. Most don't look like much competition, but a few stand out. One boy and girl pair, from Florida I think, are both 18 and clearly have been training. One girl, only 12, from Alaska could pass as 8. She is very small and looks terrified, jumping at the smallest of noises. My protective instincts tell me to go over there and cradle her in my arms, but I can't be sure if it's an act or not.

As our meals arrive, everyone digs in as the president tells a few stories. I don't pay attention, but I laugh when I hear everyone else laughing. Marcus has been busy talking to other tributes. Probably looking for potential allies. Then when everyone finishes their food, a giant cake is placed in the middle of the table. It has about 12 tiers and is covered in a smooth white icing and decorated in icing vines and chocolate flowers. A waiter cuts into the cake and reveals the red, velvety cake under the icing. Red-velvet cake. My favorite. I grab my slice and gorge myself in chocolate flowers and red cake, but slow down when I remember I'm on camera.

"You have a little something on your cheek." Marcus says. He grabs a napkin and wipes the icing off my cheek. This causes me to blush. He notices and lets out a small laugh.

"There you go." He says

"Thank you." I reply. He finishes his cake and we make small-talk until it's time to be dismissed. We all line back up and before we ascend the stairs, President Stone shakes each of our hands, wishing us luck. When he makes it to me, and grabs my hand I thank him and shake his hand. I look directly into his eyes. It's almost as if he is laughing, thinking of how we could possibly die. I drop my hand and look away, clinging to Marcus. The sight of President Stone, his touch, his eyes fills me with hatred and anger. I try and calm myself, knowing I'm being filmed right now. We walk up the stairs, and I retire to my room. I slip out of the dress, hanging it carefully in the bag Amber left, and change into a silk night gown. I wrap myself in the warm blankets, and fall into a sleep filled with nightmares.


	9. New Developments

I wake up after the horrible nightmare is over. I get into the shower, not caring what assorted smells of soap I use. When I'm out, my prep team is patiently waiting, babbling on about the latest fashion trends. They greet me with a hug and try starting conversations with me. I'm not in the mood to talk, so they leave me alone and chat amongst themselves as they fix my hair, nails and make-up. Today the tributes will be in the parade around D.C. Amber will be here to prepare me for the parade after my prep team is finished. They curl my hair and pin half of it up. My face is covered in a powder that matches my skin tone exactly, so it covers flaws without it looking like I'm wearing it. I have a white eye shadow on and mascara. My eyelashes are short, so a lot of coats are applied to make them long and full. A light pink blush covers my cheeks, and my lips are left alone, except for some gloss.

Amber walks in as the prep team is putting the finishing touches on my face.

"Good job ladies, you can go now."

They obey and walk out of the room. Amber pulls out a dress and holds it up. I am astonished at its beauty. It is a long white dress with sapphires dotting the skirt, like stars in a white sky. The strap goes around the back of my neck, which is good because I didn't like the strapless part of my dress last night. I put it on over my head and walk around in it. I thought it would be heavy with all the gems on it, but it's pretty light. Amber fixates a tiara on the top of my head. Its silver and has sapphires on it as well. I look like a princess. I step into my shoes, which thankfully are flat. They are just simple white slippers.

"So are you nervous?" Amber asks me. I'm too busy admiring my attire, and it takes me a second to realize she is talking to me.

"I was, but now I look absolutely beautiful! I see you are having fun with sapphire." I say.

"Yes, they are very beautiful gems, and they suit you well." She says with a smile. I wonder if Marcus will be wearing something similar.

Me and Amber talk for a while about where we are from, our family, and tell each other stories. We avoid talking about the games though. I decide that I like Amber, and she seems as much against the games as I am. My father walks into the room.

"Well let's have a look at you, darling." He says. I stand up and twirl for him.

"You look gorgeous. Now show me that winning smile." I put on my best smile.

"If you keep that up, you're going to have sponsors fighting each other to send you gifts." I giggle and say, "I just hope my mentor lets them go through. The guy is a little tough to work with." I say sarcastically. He laughs.

"Keep it up and he just might not send you anything." He says just as sarcastically. He walks me out of the room and we meet marcus with his stylist, Jonas. I was right, he is matching me. His suit jacket and pants are sapphire blue and a white shirt and tie. He has a crown on his head that matches mine. He looks equally amazing, if not, better. We are taken to a garage under the White House where 50 chariots await. All are pulled by two horses. Marcus steps up into ours and and grabs onto my hand to help me up. He keeps his grasp on my hand.

"You look amazing. Your stylist has magic fingers." Im blushing again, which is stupid of course. I just don't know how to react to compliments.

"Thanks. You look handsome in your suit." I reply. We sit down and he lets go of my hand.

"If I start to fall, grab me. I don't like having attention drawn to myself." I say.

"Of course, wouldn't let my team-mate get injured on my watch."

The parade music begins and the horses start to take off. Hundreds of people line the streets, watching the parade. I see the crowds reaction to my dress. The sapphires shine brightly in the light, sending rays of blue in all directions.


	10. The Parade

I don't have to fake a smile. I know that these people will be cheering on my death soon, but right now, I don't care. My partner and I look amazing, and I'm sure sponsors are lining up now. I'm waving to the crowd, and so is Marcus.

"Hug! Hug!" I hear someone shout. Then the entire crowd joins in, chanting. At first, I'm confused at what they're saying, and then I realize what they want. _They want me to hug Marcus? _I think. I don't quite understand why they want me to, but I obey and wrap my arms around Marcus. He wraps his arms around me and the crowd goes wild. We finally break apart and wave to the crowd again.

"I wonder why they wanted us to hug." I say to Marcus. I have to yell so he can hear me over the crowd.

He shrugs. "I guess they just wanted to see more than smiles and waving."

I nod and throw a kiss into the crowd. I look ahead and see some of the others glaring at me. Most of the other tributes are in plain costumes. Simple dresses, one color with no embellishments. Their stylists didn't get as creative as mine and Marcus's.

As we round the final corner, the White House comes into view again. The tributes are dropped off at the main gate and will march to the main doors. We are dropped off and Marcus and I link arms. We give the crowd a good-bye wave with our free hands.

We enter through the massive doors. After all the tributes have entered, the doors close and we are taken to elevators to our rooms. Our floor is for states K-M, and we enter the elevator with the other 20 tributes staying on our floor. My cousin, Evan, is in the elevator with me and I make my way over to him.

"Hey, Evan. Do you remember me?" I ask. He studies my face for a minute and replies.

"Yea, you're my cousin, right?"

"Yes. I didn't know if you remembered me. We haven't seen each other in five years."

Just then, his partner comes up beside him. She pushes him behind her slightly, unsure about me.

"Hi. Is there a problem here?" She asks. Her voice isn't rude, so I try not to be back.

"Hi. I'm Annelise. I was just asking Evan if he remembered me. I'm his cousin." She looks back at him for conformation, and he nods. She lets her guard down some and reaches her hand out to shake mine. I connect hands with her and we shake. The rest of the tributes are watching to see if anything is going to happen.

"See you around." I say.

"You too." She replies. The elevator door opens and we all spill out. Tomorrow training will begin. I invite Marcus to eat dinner in my room, and invite my father too, so we can talk about our strategy. We order our food, which is brought up by a chef and eat until we are full.

"So, here is the one thing I have to say about tomorrow. Save your best skills for your private training, so the others don't know what you're capable of. Go to stations you could use more practice on. And find some allies." Father says.

"So no swords, guns, or knives?" I ask

"And since you both are good at edible plants, avoid that too." Father adds.

"Ok, sounds like a plan." Marcus says. Father gets up to leave. He starts to head for the door and stops.

"Marcus, don't get any ideas. Let's go." Father says sarcastically.

Marcus laughs and gets up from his seat and walks out the door.

"Goodnight, darling." Father says.

"See you tomorrow, Sapphire." Marcus adds. Looks like I got a new nickname. Sapphire. I like it. I bet Kaitlynn will get a kick out of it, since I was so reluctant to take the sapphire necklace in the first place. I change into a tank top and pants and plop onto the bed. I fall asleep almost instantly.


	11. Training Day 1

In the morning, I'm woken by someone shaking me. I turn over and see Marcus standing over me.

"Good morning, Sapphire. We have a tough few days ahead. Take a shower and meet me and your father for breakfast in my room."

I obey and hop into the shower and finish quickly. I put on the required outfit for all tributes for training. It is a purple fitted shirt with our state abbreviation on the left sleeve. The pants are a tan color and the shoes are lightweight and black. I put them on and walk to Marcus's room.

I open the door and he and father are laughing about something. I ignore it and sit down in a chair across from father. Our breakfast is already here. Scrambled eggs, toast, fruit and a glass of milk. I finish off the scrambled eggs in less than a minute.

"Slow down there, darling. You'll make yourself sick." Father says.

"Sorry, but they taste really good." I say

After we all finish, we decide to relax before training starts at noon. It's 10 o'clock, so we have time to kill. We all take turns sharing stories. However, being my mentor does not stop father from telling embarrassing stories about me.

"Dad, can you skip the stories about me, please." I say, trying to keep my embarrassment hidden. That does not stop me from blushing though.

"Aw, afraid I'll embarrass you in front of your crush?" He teases.

"DAD!" I yell. Of course, this is the worst time to think about crushes. Yea, Marcus is cute, but that is the least of my worries right now.

"Ok, I'm done." He says. Now I know I'm blushing because I can feel my face burning. Marcus is just sitting there, unfazed, his face clean of emotions just like on reaping day. He's probably use to hearing these things. I try to get the ball rolling and change the subject. I start telling a story about when Kaitlynn and I were eight and we were riding our bikes through the woods. We had been riding for about 20 minutes before we realized we were lost. We walked with our bikes for an hour before father found us. Kaitlynn was scared out of her mind, but I actually enjoyed it. Marcus tells stories about him and his sister, Jane. Apparently, father cannot think of any stories besides embarrassing ones about me, so he just listens.

Finally, its noon and we head into the elevator and wait until it reaches the training area. It is further below the White House than I have ever been. Once we are there, only about nine more pairs are not there yet. Everyone seems to have formed groups already, so I just wander around with Marcus until Evan calls us over. Him and his partner are alone, so we decide to form our own group. After we chat for a while, I learn the girl's name is Kennedie. She seems nice, and my gut tells me she will make a good ally. Although, she turns up the charm when Marcus is around. I find it slightly annoying that she is flirting instead of thinking about survival, but I guess the more distracted she is, the better chance I have of winning. I know, it sounds like a backstabbing move to plan on someone dying while trying to befriend them, but these are the Hunger Games we are talking about. So, when training begins, I head to the camouflage section to work more on my skills. Evan joins me, and Kennedie and Marcus go to fire crafting. We switch to knot tying for the rest of our training day.


	12. Training Day 2

The next day of training, we decide to stay together and work on skills we are all lacking. First we head over to basket weaving.

Evan and I make 3 baskets to store food and 1 so tightly woven it can hold water. Marcus and Kennedie are having a little trouble, so we help them out. In no time, we have about 15 baskets made, so we move on to hand-to-hand combat. I'm already pretty good at it, but I could brush up on my skills. Kennedie and I practice with each other. She isn't as strong as she looks, because I take her down easily. Marcus and Evan go against each other. Evan takes Marcus down. This seems to make Evan really happy and he is smiling and cheering. Marcus gives me a wink, letting me know that he let him win. This brings out a giggle. Evan comes and gives Kennedie and I high fives. We congratulate him and I decide to take on Marcus myself.

We wrestle for about 9 minutes before he gets me pinned down. His hands pin my shoulders to the ground. He puts his face directly above mine.

"C'mon Sapphire, you can do better than that." He says with a cocky smile. I push him off of me and pin him down.

"You mean, like that?" I ask, almost too innocently. He laughs and I help him up.

We go to the track to run a few laps. I spot two tributes standing by themselves in a corner. They both look to be 12. I tell the other 3 that I'll catch up with them and head over to them. They both back up when I approach them. They both seem so shy and scared.

"Hi, my name is Annelise. What's your names?" I ask, using my soothing voice. They both stare at me uncertainly.

"I'm Max." The boy says. He has green eyes with medium brown hair. The girl has dirty blonde hair with blue eyes and freckles that dot her nose and cheeks. She looks down at the ground.

"I… I'm Sarah." She replies.

"Well, Max, Sarah, what are you guys doing over here? Me and my friends are going to run some laps. Do you want to join us?" I ask them.

They look at each other before Max speaks up. "Sure."

We walk to where Marcus and the other two are waiting.

"Guys, this is Max and Sarah. They're going to run with us."

Everyone greets them and we go to the starting line. The trainer blows a whistle and we all take off. Max Marcus and I are all neck and neck with Evan and Sarah close behind. Kennedie is only a few feet behind them.

We finish running two laps and I finish first. Marcus claims 2nd place, with Max 3rd, Evan 4th, Kennedie 5th, and Sarah last. By the time we finish, trainnig for today is over.

I invite everyone to have dinner in my room, and they all join, even Max and Sarah. We all decide to get to know each other better. We know this is a bad idea, but no one says it. It turns out Max and Sarah are from South Carolina. They are actually step-brother and sister. Sarah doesn't do much talking. I ask them about their skills.

"If I do say so myself, Im good with a spear and camoflaguing." Max states proudly.

"What about you?" I ask Sarah.

"Oh… Im not really good at anything." She says, looking down at her hands.

"Are you kidding?" Max says. "Sarah is the best at throwing knives that I have ever seen." She is still looking down, but a sheepish smile crosses her lips. We all talk a while longer, until we get tired. Everyone gets up to leave, but I pull marcus back in.

"Hey, I want those 4 as our allies. Is that ok with you?" I say. He thinks for a second.

"So you want two 12 year olds, your cousin and Kennedie?"

I nod my head. "Just wanted to run it by you first." I say.

"So, even if I say no, you are still going to take them as allies?" He asks.

I rasie one eyebrow. "Yea, pretty much." I say. He laughs.

"I figured that much." He teases.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, trying to be serious, but I'm smiling so its not too convincing.

"You are pretty stubborn, Sapphire." I playfully punch his arm.

"I like them too. I guess we can tell your father about our allies." He says

I nod my head. "Well, I will see you in the morning." I say.

"Goodnight." He replies. He walks out of the room and I kick off my shoes and go under the covers.

_**A/N: Hey everyone. Thanks for the reviews. I know things are going kind of slow right now but I promise it picks up soon. Lots of twists and turns coming up soon!(:**_

_**Anyways, please review, and hey? Why not even favorite it?**_

_**XOXO ~Alexis2259**_


	13. Training Day 3

The sun shines through the window, signaling me that it's time to get up. I take a quick shower then head straight to Marcus's room. When I get there, everyone is already there and breakfast is served.

"I went ahead and ordered your food for you." Marcus tells me. I see it sitting on the table next to his. Fried eggs, sausage, and orange juice. My favorite.

I thank him and sit down to eat.

Father comes in.

"Well well, what do we have here?" He asks.

"Dad, this is Evan, Kennedie, Max, and Sarah." I say. "I want them as our allies." I say. He raises an eyebrow and gives Marcus a questioning look. Marcus nods.

"Well its nice to meet you kids." He says. "Hey, Evan, how's your mother?"

"She's good. She just had another kid. Her name is Michelle. She turns 1 in about 4 months." Evan replies. Father seems a little surprised.

"Wonder why she didn't tell me." Father says. It is his sister, after all. I know they don't get along too well, but they usually put up with each other and let each other know about big events that have happened. Evan just shrugs his shoulders and continues eating his food.

"So, Annelise, Marcus, today I want you guys to spend about 10 minutes at the weapons. Get warmed up with your weapons before your private sessions tomorrow." We both nod. When we all finish, we head down to the training room and spread out. I go to the sword station, while Marcus goes to the gun station. Sarah, Max, and Evan go to work with the knives. I watch, and Sarah lands right on target every time.

I pick up a sword. It is silver and starts out wide at the base, but slims out and ends with a sharp point. I practice on a dummy, slicing it and stabbing it perfectly on the targets. I notice a few others stop and watch me, so I purposely miss so they won't think much of it.

When I finish the dummy off, I grab a new sword. This one has a curved blade, making it look very deadly. I immediately grab another dummy and cut it in half. The blade glides through it effortlessly. I decide my time is up and move to the knives station with the other 3. We all take turns throwing the knives. Six out of the eight times I throw it, I got a bulls-eye. The other two times, I was slightly off, but pretty close. Again, Sarah hit's the bulls-eye every time.

Then we bounce around from all the different weapon stations. I'm a mess with a spear, missing the target by about a foot each time. Marcus comes up behind me and grabs my arms and guides my hand gently, showing me how to throw it. When I let it go, it flies, hitting the target, only a few inches off from the center.

"Thanks." I say. I try throwing it by myself for a bit until I get a bulls-eye. Marcus congratulates me and I decide to show Marcus how to use a sword. He flings it around a few times, slicing the dummy, and stabs it in the stomach. It's off a little bit, but still pretty accurate. He takes me to the gun station and is surprised to find out I can shoot with accuracy.

"You're a better shot than you look." He says.

"Thanks… I think." I say. He laughs. "Just kidding."

I roll my eyes. I grab his hand. "Follow me." I guide him to work on snares. The instructor shows us a bunch of useful snares, some for catching animals, others for catching tributes. Evan and Kennedie join us, while Max and Sarah are working at the knot station.

Finally, the day is over and we all go back to our own rooms. I take a shower and change into a night gown. I decide to watch some TV and I find myself watching cooking shows again. This makes me hungry so I order a cheeseburger. It is brought up to my room in no time and I eat it, disposing of the wrapper. The last thing I see before I fall asleep is a man putting chocolate icing on a yellow cake.


	14. Training Scores

Today will be our private training sessions. We all will have 10 minutes to impress the Gamemakers. I will probably slice some things with a sword, and set a few snares. All the tributes will meet for breakfast in the dining room. They will call in one tribute at a time, starting with states that begin with A, all the way to the W's. The boy tribute from the state will go first, then the girl. After your session is over, you head back to your room and wait until they announce the scores tonight.

I walk down with Marcus Evan and Kennedie. Max and Sarah meet us down in the dining hall and we all sit together. They serve us a big breakfast, with every breakfast food you can think of. We get to serve ourselves, so I pile my plate with biscuits and gravy, sausage, eggs, hash browns and some fruit. I finish off the entire plate, and am completely stuffed. I lay back in my chair with my hand on my stomach.

"I cannot eat another bite. Ever again." I say. Evan laughs and says, "Well geez porky, you sure did eat enough." I give him a scowl, which causes the others to laugh as well. After an hour, they begin calling off names. One by one, the room slowly empties. Then it's Marcus's turn to go.

"Meet me in my room when you get out." He tells me. I nod and he goes. 10 minutes later, my name is called and I give the others a goodbye wave.

I enter the room and they lock the door behind me. The room is filled with hundreds of weapons. Behind glass, the Gamemakers watch me.

"Hello Miss Stague. You may begin." They tell me. I drag a dummy out into the middle of the room and select a sword. I grab one that has a blade that is about two and a half feet long, with a gold handle with a snake design carved into it. It is straight and razor sharp. I start by taking swings at it, cutting chunks off, beheading it and stabbing it, I hit it directly in the heart, then abdomen. After it is torn to shreds, I grab some wire and set some snares. I look over and they seem impressed. So, to wrap it all up, I grab knives and fling them at targets, getting a bulls-eye every time, except once. When I'm done, the head Gamemaker speaks up.

"Thank you, Miss Stague. You may go now." I bow and step out. A police officer takes me to the elevator and presses my floor number. I ride it up until the doors open. I step out and head to Marcus's room. I walk in and find him lying on his side, flipping through channels on the TV.

"So how'd it got, Sapphire?" He asks me. I sit by his legs and he turns and sits up.

"I think it went pretty good. I'm sure I got at least an 8." I say, "How did you do?"

"I shot some dummies with a gun and spears, but that's it. I think it went pretty well."

"Good. I'm sure you will get a high score." I say. "I'm craving cake. Want some?"

He laughs, "Sure, sounds good." I pick up the phone and order some.

He is still flipping through the TV channels, so I grab the remote from him and flip to the news channel.

"Hey, I was watching that!" He says, but he is laughing. We wrestle around trying to get the remote back from each other. I have the remote and lay down on top of it, but then Marcus discovers my weakness. He grabs my sides and starts tickling me. I start screaming and laughing, begging him to stop. He finally grabs the remote from my hand and stops. He is laughing like crazy while I try to catch my breath. After I am breathing normally again, I sit up.

"Fine, you can have the remote, but you don't get any cake." I say. He scoffs and replies, "I will if I tickle it away from you."

"Ok, you can have cake too. But only a small slice." I say. The chef brings in a red velvet cake with white icing. I cut myself a big slice, and give Marcus a smaller piece. We eat it while we watch a news cast about the games. They are counting down to the first day, which is only 2 days away.

Tomorrow we will be preparing for our interviews. Father will be coaching us on content, and DeAnne will coach us on presentation. Then after that day, we will be prepared by our stylists then the interview themselves.

Marcus gets up from his bed.

"I'm going to hop into the shower, ill be done in a few minutes." He says.

"Ill be here." I say. He hands me the remote and walks into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. I lay down on his bed and flip to a station, and a movie is playing. It's an older movie, but I remember seeing it when I was younger. I watch it, laughing. After a little bit, Kennedie and Evan walk in.

"Hey Annelise, where's Marcus?" Kennedie asks.

"He got in the shower. He should be done soon."

She nods and sits in a chair by the bed. Evan sits down next to me and watches the movie with me.

"You guys want some cake? There is plenty left." I say. Kennedie rejects it, but Evan scoots off the bed and cuts himself a slice. Marcus walks out of the bathroom.

"Hey everyone." He says. He sits on the bed next to me, and runs his fingers through his hair. We all sit and watch the movie and Max and Sarah enter. They join us and we all watch the movie until it's over. The sun is setting, and we know it's almost time for them to show our training scores. Father comes in and takes a seat in a chair next to us.

"Time for those training scores!" He cheers. He changes the channel to an announcer who is preparing to give the scores. A picture will flash across the screen with their name and score next to it. They do each state's tributes together, and After the other states, My picture, and then Marcus's appear as they read our names. The scores flash across the screen. Marcus, pulling off an impressive nine, and me getting a ten.


	15. Interview Prep

This exceeded my expectations. I start smiling like an idiot. Marcus and I hug and congratulate each other. So far, I have the highest score of all the tributes, and Marcus has the second. We receive congratulations from everyone in the room.

"Way to go darling." Father says. "I knew you two were a good pair." We watch some more until Kennedie and Evan's picture comes on the screen. They both pull an eight. Then later Max and Sarah's picture and scores. Max receives an eight, and Sarah receives a nine. Max is cheering, and Sarah is smiling. Everyone congratulates them. Timid Sarah just looks down at her hands smiling as everyone tells her how amazing it is that someone so young got such a good score.

After they had run through all the tributes, I realize I got the highest score. The lowest score was two, given to a heavier tribute. Even the most intimidating tributes didn't get as high as me. I feel great, until I realize that makes me a target.

Of course. Now I have endangered not only myself, but my allies as well. They all got high scores too, but many of the tributes right now are planning my death. _I just need to get my hands on the weapons everyone is best at._ I think to myself. I know if I get my sword, and Marcus can get a gun, we will be set for the games.

I tell everyone goodnight and retire to my room for the evening. I lay down on my bed, staring up at the ceiling. What are Mother, Becca, and Daniel doing right now? What did they think of my training score? Are they glad I did well, or worried, as I am, about becoming a target? These questions bounce around in my head all night. Finally, I cannot sleep, so I put on a robe and walk out of my room. I go to two sliding glass doors in the hallway. I step out onto the balcony and fill my lungs with the cool night air. I look over and see two guards watching me carefully. Probably so I don't try to escape. But I'm not going anywhere.

I sit on a chair and stare up at the moon. The sky isn't full of stars like it is at home. Too many lights for them to be seen. The cool breeze runs through my hair and across my skin. I slowly drift off to sleep.

I wake and someone is carrying me to my room. I look up and see Marcus.

"Oh. Good morning Sapphire." He says.

I yawn, "Good morning. Did I fall asleep on the balcony?" He nods his head.

"Yea, I went to go wake you, but you weren't there so I went looking for you. I saw you on the balcony and decided to take you to your room." I thank him and start to doze off again. He sets me on my bed and tucks me under the covers.

"Our interview prep doesn't start until noon, so go ahead and get some more sleep. I'll wake you when it's time." He says. His voice is quite and soothing. I fall asleep almost instantly.

I wake up again when Marcus enters my room. "Time to get up." He says. I get up and follow him to Father's room. He sends Marcus to go work with DeAnne first. He leaves and father and I get to work. He asks me some practice questions first. I answer them to the best of my ability.

"Ok, you're friendly enough, buy you are pretty shy. Try to open up a little bit." He says. I try, but I do not like talking about myself, even with one of the people who knows me better than anyone does.

"I don't want these people to know all about me. They're placing bets on how long I'll live right now!" I say, frustrated.

"Well I don't care if they are or not. If you want sponsors, you better be charming and friendly during that interview." He says. His voice remains calm, but I can see him losing his patience. I calm down a bit. I do want sponsors, no doubt, but I don't know if I can open up and tell these people about myself.

"Just try your best. What would your mother or siblings want you to do?" He asks. This question pulls me up short.

"They would probably say the same thing you are." I say, feeling defeated.

"So try and open up, for them." He says. We run through the questions one more time and get better results, but it's not good enough.

"Annelise, just answer the questions honestly, that's the best I can do." He says. I get up and leave. Marcus and I switch rooms. I am hoping DeAnne's lesson will be easier, but once we start, I quickly realize how wrong I am.

First she has me sit down and starts yelling because apparently I sit like a boy. Then, she has me walk in high heels and put a long skirt on over my pants. I can barely stand in the heels because they are about 5 inches and the skirt is so long I trip and fall a bunch of times before I can take more than a few steps.

I had enough of her yelling. I kick the shoes off and rip the skirt off.

"Let's just move on!" I yell.

"Annelise, ladies do not talk like that, or act so childish." She says. I huff and cross my arms over my chest. She shows me how ladies properly sit, ankles crossed, feet flat on the ground. I feel uncomfortable sitting like this, but I do as she says.

After another hour or so, she dismisses me, and I go to sit on the balcony. I watch as the cars zoom by, the gardener trims the hedges and the clouds float in the sky. The sun slowly makes its way across the sky. It's almost sunset, and the sky is turning into a soft orange color.

Marcus steps out and takes a seat in the chair next to me.

"Hey, how did it go with DeAnne?" He asks. I just shrug my shoulders.

"How did it go with my father?" I ask.

"Pretty good. He thinks that I should play the intimidating-guy angle." This causes me to giggle.

"I don't find you very intimidating." I joke. He smiles, "Good." Is all he says. We sit on the balcony and watch the sunset.

"This is my favorite time of the day." I say.

"Mine is when the sun is highest in the sky. Everything is so bright and alive." He replies. I close my eyes and picture this scene in my head. It warms me and reminds me of the summer days back home. Then it hits me, how much I truly miss my home, my family.

"I hate this. I wish we were home." I say.

He takes my hand and places it between both of his.

"We will be going home. The both of us. I will make sure of it." He assures me. I place my free hand onto of his and say,

"I'll make sure of it too. I have promised too many people that both of us will be coming home. And I keep my promises."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Ooooh I see a little romance sparking up between two certain characters... That's right, Evan and Kennedie! (Just kidding, that would be wierd...)**_

**_So anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying the story. I tried to stay true to the book, but had to fix some things since it is set only 8 years from now._**

**_Please review and favorite!_**

**_XOXO ~Alexis2259_**


	16. The Interviews

"Take a quick shower, dear! You have a big day coming up!" Jasmine says. I step into the bathroom and look in the mirror. I have dark circles under my eyes and my hair is a tangled mess. The nightmares only get worse and worse the closer we get to the first day of the games. I walk into the shower and scrub every part of my body.

I stand under the dryer, let it warm, and dry me. I slip on a robe and sit in a chair. My prep team gets to work, talking about their personal lives. Who started dating who, who wore what better and other stuff I do not care about.

They erase the dark circles from under my eyes and coat my face in a powder that is supposed to even skin tone. They coat my eyelids in a shimmering silver, paint my lips ruby red, and put on layers of mascara.

My hair is down and curled. My nails are squared and the tips painted white. Amber walks in and slips me into another fabulous dress. This one stops about halfway down my calf. The skirt is full and white and the top is sapphire. It has one strap that crosses my chest and goes over my right shoulder. She places my necklace around my neck and secures it.

I slip my feet into sapphire colored shoes, and feel relief that they are 3 inches shorter than the ones DeAnne had me walk in. I spin in front of the mirror, amazed at the beauty of the dress.

"What do you think?" Amber asks.

"I think it's my favorite one so far." I say.

I realize I'm starving and I order up some breakfast. I put the robe on over my dress so I don't ruin it. I dine on some toast with jelly and fried eggs. Someone knocks on my door. I wipe my mouth, careful not to smear the makeup and go answer the door.

Marcus is standing in the doorway wearing a simple black suit and sapphire tie. I guess our stylists like to have us match. All the time. He does look good, though. I straighten his tie while he compliments my dress. I return the compliment and we link arms to head to the interviews. Father meets us by the elevator, grabs me by my hand, and spins me.

"Never thought I would see my girl wearing dresses so much." He says. I giggle. I rarely ever wear dresses, unless I am going to church. I feel so vulnerable in dresses. Father always said I was a tomboy, but I never really thought so. I hug him and he wishes me luck.

When we get to the room where the interviews will take place, Father is taken to the section for the mentors. I spot Amber on a balcony overlooking the crowd with the rest of the stylists. The front five rows are reserved for the tributes, and the 10 rows behind them are filled with a lucky few who get to watch the interviews live.

I instantly start to feel nervous. I never liked talking in front of crowds. Marcus notices.

"What's wrong Sapphire?" he asks.

"I can't do this. I don't like talking about myself, and I never did well in front of crowds." My hands start sweating and I rub them off on my skirt.

"If you start to feel nervous, just look at me and act like you're talking to me and no one else is around." He says. I don't know how well it will work, but I feel comfortable talking to him, so I decide to give it a shot. We take our seats next to each other. A man steps onto the stage, wearing a suit that is completely white, with a yellow tulip sticking out of his lapel.

He is a taller man with jet black hair and eyes that are so dark, they look black. After he settles everyone down, someone counts backwards from five and then were on the air. Everyone gives a round of applause and he introduces himself. His name is Wesley Owens. He starts the crowd off with some jokes and then he calls up the girl from Alabama.

Each tribute has 3 minutes, then a buzzer goes off letting them know their time is up. I actually laugh, because Wesley is pretty funny. He can pull a joke out of anything the tributes say. Before I know it, it's my turn to go up. He shakes my hand and spins me around.

"Well that is a lovely dress, Miss Stague." He says I thank him and we sit down.

"So, Annelise, tells us a little about yourself. What's it like back home?"

I feel my hands starting to sweat again. I look into the crowd and find Marcus, staring back at me. He gives me a small smile and I take a deep breath.

"It's great. My house is set back in the woods, so its nice and peaceful. A lot different from here." I say.

"I bet it is. So, what did you like the most about coming to D.C.?"

I think for a second.

"I have made some new friends since I have come here." I reply.

"You're talking about me, right?" He whispers, but loud enough for everyone to hear. The crowd starts laughing and I giggle.

"Of course I am." I say and I raise my hand up for a high five, and he smacks my hand. There are some cheers from the crowd and I look for Marcus. He gives me a thumbs up. I smile and then Wesley asks some more questions.

"So, at the reaping, two younger kids ran up to you. Im guessing they are your brother and sister?" H asks.

I nod.

"Yes, that was my sister Becca and my brother Daniel." I reply

"What did they say to you before you left?"

"They told me to never give up. To fight until the end. And I promised I would." I say. Sounds of admiration float up from the crowd, and then a round of applause.

"So how are you getting along with your partner?" He asks me.

I find him in the crowd again and he raises and eyebrow.

"We get along really well. When people were visiting me before I left, his sister came in.""And what did he say?" He asks, I can sense the curiosity in his voice.

"She told me that I had to help protect Marcus, and made me promise he would come home with me. I promised her, and I'm not one to break my promises." I reply. This sends the crowd into a frenzy. There are cheers and applause and shout of encouragement. I give a dazzling smile.

"So, lets talk about that training score. A ten. That's the highest of all the tributes. You must have really impressed the Gamemakers."" I must have. I walked out thinking I would get at least an eight. I never thought that I would have had the highest score."

"Well, we know who to keep an eye on in the arena." He tells the crowd. And then the buzzer goes off. He thanks me and I take my seat. I pass Marcus as he goes up onto the stage.

They start off with some simple questions, asking him about his family, if he plays sports, and some other general questions. He plays the intimidating angle really well.

But he has a soft side for his sister, because a question comes up about her.

"So, did you know your sister paid Annelise a visit?" Wesley asks.

"She told me on the plane on the way here. I was pretty surprised." He replies.

"What do you think about the promise Annelise made to your sister?" He looks at me.

"I know she will keep her promise. And I will too. I intend to get both of us home."

The crowd claps and I hear the tribute next to me laugh. He is the one who caught my attention during the tribute dinner. The one who is probably twice my size and strength.

I know he intends to make sure we don't live to see our homes. He catches me looking at him from the corner of his eye. I quickly focus back on Marcus, but I hear him give a pleased laugh. I just roll my eyes, hoping I'm not on camera. Then the buzzer goes off and Marcus takes his seat next to me.

"Good job." I tell him.

"You too. I told you that you would do fine." He says

The other tributes go up and then it's Kennedie's turn. She and Wesley have the crowd from the start. She has a natural sense of humor. Then Evan goes up and he is so energetic and excited the crowd cant help but love him. More time passes and then it's Sarah's turn. She stays quiet most of the time. Looking down at her hands, giving one-worded answers. Max gets up and starts telling stories.

Finally, the interviews are all done and Wesley signs off and reminds everyone to tune in tomorrow for the start of the Hunger Games. The tributes all rise and bow. Then it's over. We all exit and go to our floors. I give Marcus a hug and go to my room. I go to the shower and wash all the make-up off. I need to get as much sleep as I can for tomorrow. I slip under the covers and fall into a peaceful slumber.


	17. Let the Games Begin

It's time. I rise out of bed and slip on clothes, not caring what they are. I put my hair in its usual ponytail and go to Marcus's room. Kennedie, Evan, Sarah and Max are in their as well. No one is smiling. I don't blame them. We have 30 minutes until we need to leave, so I decide to talk strategy.

"Ok, since we are all allies, we need a game plan." I say. They all look at me, waiting for me to continue.

"So here's what I'm thinking, everyone grabs as much as they can from the cornucopia. Then we all meet up after the fighting goes down. We will examine our supplies and distribute the weapons. We will have to find a body of water then shelter. Got it?" I ask them. They all nod. Father walks in and gives me a hug. He holds me in his arms for a long time.

"Be safe in there. Protect each other." He says. I kiss him on the cheek.

"I will." I say.

"I wont be coming with you guys to see you off, but your stylists will." He says.

He escorts us to a limo that will be taking us to the airport. The arena is about 45 minutes away. Mrcus and I sit next to each other. A tinted window blocks us off from the driver. I watch out the window as the city quickly turns into the country side.

"Marcus…" I start.

"What is it?" He asks.

His crytal blue eyes burn into mine.

"I'm scared." I admit. "What are we going to be thrown into? And what happens if it comes down to just us and Kennedie and Evan or Sarah and Max? I don't want to have to kill them. I don't want to kill anyone."

He wraps me in his arms, enveloping me in his warmth. I let out a few tears onto his shirt. He strokes my hair.

"Don't be scared Annelise. I wont let anything happen to you."

I wrap my arms around his neck. I give him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you."

I unwrap my arms from his neck and he lets go of me. Suddenly, I want to be back in his arms. I fight back the feeling. I need to think about survival, push away any feelings I might have for Marcus and focus on keeping us alive.

The rest of the ride to the airport is silent. When we arrive we are taken onto the plane for some breakfast. I don't have much of an appetite right now, but I'm going to need all the food I can get to hold me back. I eat until I feel like I've had enough. I don't want to stuff myself because I cant run on a full stomach. We sit in the TV room, in silence, waiting for our arrival to the arena.

The plane lands and we are taken into separate rooms. It's called the Launch Room and is located under the arena. This is where we will spend our last minutes before the games. Amber comes in and hands me the outfit all the tributes will wear in the arena. it's a fitted brown shirt and tan shorts that stop in the middle of my thighs. The black boots are sturdy and lightweight, rising about mid-calf. Amber puts the necklace on me and has me go change. I put on the outfit.

"Does everything fit well?" She asks. I walk around and run around.

"Yes, perfectly." I say. She gives me a hug.

"You got this. I know you will win. I have faith in you."

"Thank you. For everything. You have given me a huge advantage in that arena." I say.

A voice announces that the tributes need to be prepared to launch. I step onto a metal plate that will lift me into the arena. A glass comes down around me and I place my hand on it. Amber puts her hand where mine is and gives me a thumbs up with her other hand.

The plate starts to rise and I'm in the dark for about 15 seconds. Then light shines from above my head and I'm lifted into the arena. The sun shines bright and I can hardly see. The first thing I register is the climate, comfortably warm. My eyes adjust to the lighting and I can see the arena. To my left is a beach and ocean. To my right is woods, like the ones at home. In front of me is a meadow, with some tall grasses further back. Behind me is more forest.

The Cornucopia stands about 100 yards away from me. Backpacks and weapons spill out from the mouth. The value of the items lower as they get farther away from the Cornucopia. I spot a sword on the ground next to the Cornucopia.

A voice booms out through the arena.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, let the Hunger Games begin!"

I look over to see who is by me. Marcus is on the plate to my right. I look at him and nod. I see Sarah about 2 tributes away on my left. I cant see any of the others.

"Welcome to the arena! You will have sixty seconds before you can step off your plate. If you step off before-" Suddenly, two land mines explode, killing two tributes from the same state. Chunks of dirt and grass fall and hit everyone. Two cannons explode. That is the signal to let us know when a tribute has died.

The voice continues.

"As I was saying, step off before the time is up, you will activate the land mines."

Good to know.

Then the countdown begins. It starts a sixty and goes backwards. I wait in anticipation as the seconds tick away.

"5.…4.…3.…2.…1"


	18. Chapter 18

The cannon goes off and I run as fast as I can to the Cornucopia. I slip my hand into a green back pack and dash to my sword. Another tribute reaches it when I do and we stand facing each other. I spot a knife by me and grab it as fast as I can. He punches me in the face, but I grab the knife and open up a gash on his arm. He falls to the ground. I grab my sword and stab him through the heart. I spot Marcus, who got his hands on a gun and some knives, running into the woods, bleeding from his right leg.

I hear a knife shoot past my left ear, and I take off into the woods. I run for a good half hour before I stop. I need to find Marcus and the others. I climb up into a tree, concealed in the leaves, waiting to see who passes by. I feel my cheek. It's swollen from where the boy punched me. Just then, I spot Evan running by.

I look to see if he is being chased. He's clear so I jump down from my tree. I run up behind him. I whisper his name, and duck so he doesn't try to kill me. He doesn't have any weapons, but he got a pouch and a first aid kit. He has a cut on his forehead and it is bleeding heavily. "Annelise!" He whispers. I go to hug him.

"Did you see where the other four went?" I ask. He shakes his head. We are probably not far enough away from other tributes, so I suggest we keep running. We alternate between running and jogging for the next two hours. Then the cannons start to fire. The blood-bath must be over. We climb up into a tree and count the number of cannon shots.

"I got 43. What about you?" I ask.

"Same." He says. I just hope none of those were Marcus's or the others. We sit and wait to see if any more cannons fire. None do, so we decide to inspect our bags. His contains extra socks, a water bottle with water, trail mix, and some wire. My bag has a thick blanket, wire, a water container without water, crackers, some bandages, rubbing alcohol, water purifier, and some matches.

"Looks like we got good packs." I say.

"First things first, we need to find some water and shelter. If no one else shows up tonight, we will go looking for them tomorrow." He agrees and we get down from the tree to look for water. I fling my backpack onto my shoulders and hold my sword in my left hand, sticking my knife in my pocket. We head in the same direction we have been.

The sun starts to set, and we still haven't found water.

"We need to set up camp. We can find water tomorrow." I say. We find a large tree, with a hole in its side, that you have to lie flat on your stomach and crawl through. The inside is hollowed out, and will be good enough for tonight. I take some leaves and sticks and camouflage it as best as I can. I take out the blanket and wrap it around Evan and me.

"I'll take the first watch." I say. He nods and falls asleep. I sit watching the small crack I left in the hole to see outside. After a few hours, I hear someone outside. I look through the hole to see if I can make out who it is, sword in hand and ready to attack. I see a small, petite figure, with two knives in her hands. She turns around towards the direction of the tree, and with the moon light I can just make out her face.

It's Sarah.

I whisper her name, and she raises her knives.

"It's me, Annelise, and Evan." I tell her. She lowers her knives and looks around. I stick my hand through the crack to show her where we are. She kneels down and looks at me through the crack. I carefully disassemble my wall and let her in. it's a tight squeeze with the 3 of us, but we still can all fit.

"Have you seen Marcus? Where's Max? Have you seen Kennedie?" I blurt out.

She has a sad expression on her face and I prepare for the news.

"Someone killed Max at the Cornucopia. I slit his throat, but Max is gone." She says. Just then, the night sky comes alive with the pictures of those who died today. 45 tributes gone in one day. That leaves 55 more tributes.

I wrap Sarah in the blanket with Evan and me. She cuddles up to me and puts her head on my chest. It's hard not to compare her to Becca. I sit for another hour, and then I wake Evan, because my eyelids are getting heavy. I tell him to wake me up at sunrise, so I should have another 4 hours. I sleep and am woken by Sarah.

"Hey, Evan climbed up the tree to see if anyone came. He told me to wake you." She tells me. I climb out of the tree and look up to find Evan. He is at the top of the tree looking out into the arena. I send Sarah up the tree to get Evan down so we can look for water.

"Annelise, I saw some water about 2 miles away from here." We pack up our things and head in the direction of the water. We are strolling along when I spot a rabbit. I take my knife and hurl it at the rabbit. Once I have wounded it, I take my sword and cut off its head. I hand the rabbit to Evan so he can skin it and gut it.

When I hand it to him, I hear the sound of a leaf crunch. I quickly turn around, wielding my sword, and find a female tribute coming for us. She has a spear in her hand and she throws it in our direction. We duck and the spear lodges itself in the tree behind us.

I'm lying on the ground, prepared to get up and fight, until she comes and kicks me in my side. It wasn't hard enough to break anything, but it knocks me back down. She retrieves her spear from the tree and comes at me. She lifts the spear above her head to drive it down through my skull, when her eyes widen. She stops moving, then she starts coughing up blood.

She falls on top of me, the spear falling to my side. Sarah stands behind her, and I see she took her knife and stabbed the girl in the back. I push the girl off of me. Sarah pulls the knife out of the girls back, and lifts her head, cutting her throat. Then her cannon fires. I try and catch my breath. When I do, I stand up and hug Sarah.

"You saved me. Thank you." I say.

"What are allies for?" She says. I smile and she giggles. Evan grabs her spear and we head off to get water.

When we reach the water, we find a crystal clear creek. I pull out my water container and fill it up. Sarah fills hers as well, and I put in the correct number of drops to purify it. After the 30 minutes it takes to purify, I take some sips and pack it away. We clean the rabbit and wash our weapons. Sarah has a cut on her neck and I clean it and put some cloth on it. I fix Evan's wounds, too.

After the rabbit is cleaned and our wounds are fixed, I give them all a piece of rabbit. It's too risky for a fire, so we will have to eat it raw. It doesn't go down east, but it does. We keep moving in hopes of finding Marcus and Kennedie. The sun is high in the sky, indicating it's about 1 o'clock. This is Marcus's favorite time of day. _Where are you Marcus? _I think.

Our stomachs' are still growling, so we hunt to calm them down. We catch six squirrels and another rabbit. We move on a little further and clean them. We finish off two of the squirrels, and agree to save the rest for later.

"We need to find a shelter close to the creek, until we can find another source of water." I say. So we search and search until we find the perfect place. It is only 5 yards away from the edge of the creek. A rather large group of animals must have made it, because it underground, but can fit all five of us easily, and we can even kneel down without our heads touching the ceiling. There isn't enough room to stand straight, though.

The entrance is surrounded by a cluster of large boulders, so it is pretty hidden. The entrance slants down into it, so you don't just drop straight down. I weave a mat to put over the top of it. I find some green rods by the creek and use them.

I grab a sharp rock and start to dig out a place in the wall to place our packs in without them taking up space. I take a drink of water and grab my sword. I'm determined to find Marcus by tomorrow.

"You two stay here. I'll be back soon. I'm going to find Marcus and Kennedie." I take a squirrel and my water with me. I give Evan my knife so he has more than a spear to defend himself with. They go into the hideout and I cover the entrance. I walk about a mile away, and then climb up the tallest tree. I skim the forest floor, when I spot someone. I see light brown hair and I feel excited. I grab onto a branch that is reaching over from the tree next to me. I climb over to see if I can catch a glimpse of who it is. I am able to see their face and I see they are carrying a gun. I climb down lower to be sure.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Whoa. That was intense. I'm not sure if it's a sign of insanity, but I enjoyed writing this chapter the most.**_

_**Anyways, Happy reading! (And may the odds be EVER in your favor:)**_

_**Please review and favorite :D**_

_**XOXO ~Alexis2259**_


	19. Chapter 19

"Marcus!" I shout from the tree. I quickly clasp my hand over my mouth. He turns and looks around. He must recognize my voice, because he looks desperate, not alert. I climb down from the tree and sprint towards him, dropping my sword as I do. I wrap my arms around his neck and he wraps his around my waist. He picks me up and spins me around.

"Marcus! I'm so glad you're safe! I have been worried sick!" I say. I'm practically yelling, but I don't care.

"Good to see you Sapphire." He says. He looks like he hasn't had anything to drink so I give him some water and hand him the squirrel. He drinks half the water and finishes off the squirrel.

"Have you seen anyone else?" He asks me.

"Evan and Sarah are with me, but I haven't seen Kennedie. Max didn't make it out of the bloodbath at the Cornucopia." I say. He nods.

"Where are Sarah and Evan at right now?"

"We found a great hideout underground. It's only a mile away from here by the creek." I say. I grab my sword from the ground and take his hand into mine and lead him to the hideout. I notice the cut on his leg. It has stopped bleeding, but it doesn't look too clean. I run into the hideout and grab the first aid kit from Evan.

"I found Marcus." I tell them. They follow me out and greet him. They chat while I work on his leg. He must have been cut by someone with a knife. It starts at the bottom of his knee and stops at the top of his boot. It's not deep, so I put some rubbing alcohol on it. He flinches when I first put it on. I wrap it in some bandage and then I'm finished.

"All done." I say. I put the rubbing alcohol into the first aid kit.

"What happened to your face? It's really bruised." He says.

"Someone punched me at the Cornucopia when I went to get my sword. No big deal." I say. He nods and I take him into the hideout. Sarah and Max laid out the blanket on the ground and weaved some baskets to store water in.

"We found some berries by the creek. There safe. We have them at home." Sarah says. She pops a few in her mouth.

"I thought I said to stay in the hideout?" I say. I feel a little angry. I know Sarah can protect herself, but she reminds me of Becca and I want to protect her.

"Sorry. I noticed them when we were looking for shelter and I thought I could get some." She says, looking down at her hands.

"No, its ok. I'm sorry, I guess I'm just protective." I admit. She looks up at me and smiles. I grab a handful of berries and pop some in my mouth. I give some to Marcus and he eats them as well. The sweet flavor explodes in my mouth.

Marcus looks tired, so I make him lay down while I keep watch. Evan lies down with him, leaving me and Sarah. We sit against opposite walls by the entrance, just talking. She tells me about her older brother and younger sister. Her brother is Daniel's age and her younger sister is only six. She tells me about her pets, where she lives, and even tells me some stories.

It's an uneventful night. 3 faces appear in the sky tonight. I try to see if I can remember hearing the cannons go off, but I don't. None of the faces are Kennedie's. When the sun starts to rise, Sarah and I wake Marcus and Evan to take watch. I lay down and Sarah lies by me. We drift off.

I wake up, and judging by the sun's position in the sky, it's about noon.

"Good morning, Sapphire." Marcus says. I stretch and sit up. Sarah is already awake.

"Good morning." I say. I get a drink of water and eat some of the rabbit.

"We better finish these off by today, they won't keep very long." I say. We all grab squirrel and a piece of rabbit. A cannon goes off, causing us to jump. _49 down._ I think.

I crawl out of the hideout and walk to the creek. The creek is about waist-deep. I take my shoes and socks off and climb in to clean up a little bit. Marcus comes out after me. I go under to wet my hair. He sits on a rock by the creek.

"Come on in, the water feels great." I tell him. I float on my back, relaxing. Marcus decides to take me up on my offer and takes off his shoes and socks. He pulls his shirt off over his head and hops in. He goes under and comes up, shaking his head, flinging water everywhere. We splash around, until a silver parachute floats down and lands the rock.

I quickly get out of the creek and open the package. It contains four chocolate chip cookies.

"Guess we got some sponsors after all." I say. I go to the entrance of the hideout and call for Sarah and Evan to come out. They are absolutely excited when I hand them each a cookie. I laugh as Evan bounces around, thanking our sponsors. Sarah happily eats hers. They act like little kids getting a new toy. Marcus comes and sits by me.

"Whoa. You have a lot of muscles. And a six pack. I guess that's why Annelise likes you." Evan says. I glare at him, and him and Marcus laugh. I can feel my face turning red. I turn my head down and eat my cookie, no doubt a camera is on my face now. Even Sarah is giggling now.

I go back to the hideout and grab my sword and Marcus's gun. We shouldn't be out in the open without weapons. We all get back in the creek and swim around. Sarah gets on my back and holds onto my shoulders. I swim around while she is on my back and we even go under a few times. She is laughing, which causes me to smile. In all the places in the world to have fun, we do it where we are being hunted. We spend all day playing in the creek. At the start of sundown, Sarah and I take our shirts off to dry, leaving us in a tank top. We all lay on the soft forest floor to dry off. I watch the sun sink down behind the trees, sending colors across the sky.

When it's dark, we grab our shirts and put our shoes and socks back on. We climb into the hideout and eat the rest of the squirrels and rabbit and berries. I offer to take first watch, and Marcus offers to take watch with me. I insist that he get some sleep, but he refuses, so I let him.

I still have half of my cookie left, so I break it and give him a piece. He takes it and nibbles on it. I let my mind wander. I think back to home. Where we would all be plopped down on the couch to watch TV after dinner. Daniel Becca and mother must be watching right now, before they go to sleep. I wish I could be there to kiss them goodnight.

Sarah starts to stir so I go over and whisper in her ear. I rub her hair down and tell her everything will be fine. She is still again, and I go back to my corner. No faces appear in the sky tonight.

I run my fingers through my hair, combing out the knots. I notice Marcus has dozed off. I crawl next to him and shake him gently.

"Marcus, you're falling asleep. Go lay down, Evan and I can take over from here."

"No I'm fine. I swear." He replies

"No, go lay down." I demand. After much argument, he finally lies down and I wake up Evan.

"Hey Marcus fell asleep. It's your turn now." I say. He nods and crawls over to the corner where Marcus sat. We sit until sunlight shines through a crack in the opening. I have Evan stay in the hideout while I go gather some berries and a few animals for breakfast. I grab my sword and knife and slowly exit the hideout, making sure no one is around. All clear.

I exit out and head to the bush. I strip it of its berries, and end up with enough to last us a few days. I set a few snares away from the hideout and catch find a turkey. I get a knife in it and cut it's head off with my sword. I retrieve it, when I hear footsteps. I duck behind a bush. I peek out and see two tributes. The boy who sat by me during the interview, and his partner.

"Have you seen any signs of her, Jake?" The girl asks.

"No, but as soon as we find her, I'll take care of her, while you get her allies." He says.

I don't know who they are talking about, but then it hits me.

_They're hunting for me._ I wait until they move on. I stay behind the bush until I can't hear them.


	20. Chapter 20

I dash towards the hideout, where Evan is waiting.

"I saw two other tributes. I hid behind a bush. They were talking about finding someone. They were talking about finding me." I say, frantically.

"Calm down," Evan says, "Who were they?"

"The boy's name was Jake, but I don't know the girl's name. They're the tributes from Kansas." I say, trying to sound calm.

"We need to stay alert." He says. I agree and Wake up Sarah and Marcus.

"I got us some food for breakfast." I hold the turkey up and the basket overflowing with berries. I quickly clean the turkey and we eat. We save enough turkey for later. Marcus insists on going out to find other things to eat, but I quickly tell him no.

"Why not?" He asks. I tell him about what happened and he agrees to stay hiding, at least for today. We all sit and listen carefully, when a cannon goes off. While sitting in the hideout, we decide to play a game. I suggest charades since it is a pretty quiet game. I use to play this all the time with Kaitlynn and my brother and sister. Sarah goes first, and she gets on the ground, clawing at it before she lies down. I quickly guess cat. She nods and I go to take a turn. We all play this for a few hours before I start to get tired.

Marcus and the others insist I lay down, but I know I can make it to nightfall.

"You have been up all night, get some sleep Annelise." Marcus says. I give in and go to lie down. I fall asleep, but my mind quickly fills with nightmares. Jake and his partner were chasing me through the woods, until we reached the beach. I jump into the salty water, and they hold me under, my lungs filling with water and my throat burning from the salt water, until I fall unconscious.

I must have been thrashing around, because Marcus wakes me up. Evan and Sarah are already asleep on the blanket. I'm hyperventilating and on the verge of crying. Marcus sits me up and holds me in his arms. I feel safe here, wrapped in his arms, consumed by his warmth, the feeling of fear banished. My breathing returns to its normal pace and my heart stops pounding. I lean my head on his shoulder and fall back asleep, no nightmares.

I wake up at about midnight, and a face flashes in the sky. It's not Kennedie. Marcus is still awake and he gives me a smile.

"I can stay up a little longer." He says. I don't try to argue. His arm is still around my shoulders. I prop myself up straight.

"Thank you." I tell him.

"For what?" He asks.

"I was having a horrible dream, but when you woke me and held me, I felt safe. When I fell back asleep, I didn't have another bad dream. So thank you." I say.

"Don't worry about it. I guess I just have a soft spot for you. I couldn't stand to see you like that, thrashing around and crying." He says. I smile and snuggle up next to him.

"Who else do you have a soft spot for?" I ask.

"Just you and Jane." He says. This catches my attention. I know Jane is the only person in this world he truly cares about. So what does he think about me, that would put me up there with her? This question goes through my mind all night. He wakes Sarah to take his place. He kisses the top of my head and lies down on the blanket. Sarah raises an eyebrow when she sees this.

"Did I miss something?" she asks.

"No, you're good." I say. She smiles and sits across from me. We sit and wait.

At the crack of dawn, another cannon fires, then another one shortly after. I realize we need to replenish our water supply. Sarah and I grab our weapons and water baskets. I push the mat off the entrance and crawl out. We walk about 50 yards downstream to the edge of the creek to fill up the basket. I purify the water and set it on a rock while I try and catch some fish. I catch two and put them in a basket. When I look up from the basket, I see them.

Jake and his partner are sprinting towards us. "Sarah! Run!" I scream. She starts to get up, but she's too late. The girl throws an axe which lodges itself in Sarah's side. I grab my sword, but Jake comes up to me and knocks it out of my hand. He grabs me by my wrists, with a grip so strong I can't break free. Sarah pulls the axe out of her side and tries to crawl to the side of the creek.

Jake puts his arm across my chest, and holds me so I can't get away. I am screaming Sarah's name, and kicking and thrashing around, trying to free myself from his grasp. But he is too strong for me. I keep screaming Sarah's name. Jake places his hand over my mouth, and pulls out a knife. He slices the side of my left arm.

"Stop screaming or ill kill you right now!" He yells.

I watch as the girl walks over to Sarah, axe in hand. She lifts the axe above her head, brings it down, placing it in Sarah's skull.

Sarah's cannon fires and I quit fighting. I can feel the blood flowing down my arm, dripping off my hand. My eyes are filled with tears. Jake takes his hand off my mouth and pushes me onto the ground. I reach for my sword, but he stomps on my hand.

"Don't even think about it." He says. He puts his knees on my shoulders, pinning me to the ground. The girl hands him a spear. She is standing next to him, looking over me, a pleased smile on her face. I hear a noise, and then she falls to the ground, blood spewing out from her right temple. Jake looks over.

"Allie!" He screams. The next thing I know, Marcus tackles Jake, flinging him to the ground. Jake gets up, and punches Marcus in the face. Marcus takes his gun, and slams it into the back of Jake's head. Jake falls to the ground, not dead, but dazed and confused. Instead of fighting, he gets up and runs in the direction the opposite direction he came from. He must be going to the Cornucopia. I don't dare move. I look over and see Sarah's body, motionless, on the ground.


	21. Chapter 21

As I lay on the ground, with the blood gushing out of my left fore arm, Marcus wraps it in his shirt to try to soak up the blood. Allie's cannon goes off. I sit myself upright against the tree. I start to cry, not because of the pain, but because of Sarah's death. She didn't deserve to die that way. Sweet, innocent Sarah. Marcus wraps me in his arms as I sob.

"Shh. Annelise, it's ok." He says in a quiet, soothing voice. He strokes my hair and tries to calm me down.

"It's not fair. She didn't deserve what they put her through. None of this is fair." I cry. Marcus sits against the tree and I cry into his chest. He is still smoothing my hair down. It all happened so fast. She was just laughing 10 minutes before. Now she will never laugh again.

"I promise, Annelise, we will make it home. And Jake will pay for her death." He says. I stop crying and I look up into his crystal blue eyes. One is almost swollen shut and black from where Jake punched him.

Suddenly, before I know what is going on, I press my lips up to Marcus's. His lips are soft, warm, and steady. He doesn't pull away; instead, he holds my face with his free hand. We stay like this until we need to come up for air. My whole body is tingling and my mind is clouded and fuzzy for a few seconds. He leans his forehead against mine.

"I promise." He whispers. He kisses the tip of my nose.

"We need to get back to the hideout to patch you up." He says. I stand, but immediately collapse back to the ground, feeling woozy from the gash on my arm and the kiss. He scoops me up in his arms and carries me to our hideout. Evan is sitting in the corner waiting for us.

"What happened out there? I woke up to screaming and Marcus leaving" He exclaims. Marcus lays me down.

"Where's Sarah?" Evan asks. A tear falls down my face.

"She's not coming back." I say, shakily. "She's gone."

He understands what has just happened, stops asking questions, and helps Marcus with my arm. It's not too deep, but it runs from my wrist to just below my elbow, heavily bleeding. They clean it and put bandage around it. It starts to soak through the bandage and he replaces it.

After, I prop myself up and lean against the wall, staring into space.

Marcus and Evan go to retrieve our weapons and water from where I left it. They come back an hour later with the fish cleaned and the water baskets. He puts them in their spot in the wall and sits beside me. He wraps me in his arms.

"Why don't you try to get some sleep? Evan and I will keep watch." I obey and place my head on his chest. He wraps the blanket around us. I listen to the steady beat of his heart until I drift off into sleep.

When I wake, the sun is setting in the sky and Marcus is still awake, while Evan is already passed out.

"Go ahead and get some sleep." I tell him. "If anything happens, I have my sword, and I will wake you."

"Wake me. You are in no condition to use your sword." He tells me. He falls asleep almost immediately. He still has his arm around me and I lay my head on his shoulder. He places his head on top of mine and I keep a close eye on the entrance to our hide out. I watch as the sun slowly rises. Evan wakes up and stretches on the ground.

"Good morning Annelise." He says. He looks over at me and lets out a sarcastic laugh.

"I knew you two liked each other." He teases. A small smile breaks across my lips.

"Go ahead and eat something, but not a lot." I say. He obeys and silently grabs a bowl of vegetable soup. Marcus starts to squirm around, and then he wakes up.

"Good morning, Sapphire." He says. I kiss him.

"Good morning." I reply. He hops up and grabs some of the soup.

"Can you toss me a roll?" I ask. Evan flings one over to me and I snatch it out of the air with ease. I rip it in half and stuff one half in my mouth.

"Has there been any sign of Kennedie around?" Evan asks. I try to think, I haven't seen her since she was separated from us at the Cornucopia. Just then, I hear something crack a branch outside the entrance. I grab my sword and start towards the entrance. Marcus grabs my hand.

"Stay here, I'll go check it out." He grabs his gun and crawls out quietly. I follow behind him.

"Or don't." He says sarcastically. He should know that I am stubborn by now. When we are outside, I see a figure jump behind a tree. I start to wield my sword, prepared to attack, until I catch a glimpse of black hair. I risk speaking aloud.

"Kennedie, is that you? It's just us, Annelise and Marcus." The figure steps out from behind the tree, cautiously. It's Kennedie. I drop my sword and run up to her. She has a few cuts on her arms and face, but nothing we can't fix. "Are you ok?" I ask her. She nods her head.

"I have been looking for you guys since I had to escape from the Cornucopia. Is Evan still with you?" She asks, and the worry in her voice is obvious.

"Yes, he is fine. Barely a scratch on him. Come on, we'll show you our hideout." She follows Marcus and I into the hideout.

"Evan!" She yells. He immediately gets up and hugs her. "I'm so glad you're safe!" She squeals. I start to smile until Kennedie asks about Max and Sarah. The smile immediately drops from my face. I can feel my throat tighten, as it always does when I try to avoid crying.

"Max didn't make it out of the Cornucopia and Sarah…" My throat tightens up and I can barely speak anymore. Marcus comes over and wraps me in his arms before I start to cry. I bury my face in his chest. I remember that I have to stay strong for Evan, Daniel, and Becca who are probably watching right now. Plus, no one wants to sponsor someone who is a wreck after their ally's death.

"She's gone." Is all I can say.

Kennedie leaves me alone and goes to treat her wounds. I tell her and Evan to stay here while Marcus and I go to hunt. He barely lets me do anything, though, because of my arm, even though I tell him I'm fine. We quietly go through the woods, and 2 hours later, we return to the hideout with a few squirrels and rabbits, already cleaned and ready to eat.

We decide to risk a fire to cook the food. We all climb out and head into the woods. No one comes after us though. Rabbit tastes much better cooked. I get the berries and pass some out. I even find some mint plants, and brew some mint tea.

Evan and Kennedie toss berries at each other, catching them in their mouths. They toss one in my direction, but I just let it fall to the ground. They take the hint and continue on without me.

I sit and stare into the fire. Marcus sits by me, his right hip against my left. I put my head on his shoulder. He wraps his right arm around my waist, pulling me close. We sit there, staring at the fire, refusing to let go of each other.

I realize it's dark out when Marcus shakes me, bringing me back to reality. I kick some dirt onto the fire and we head to our hideout. Kennedie and Evan take the first watch. I lay on the ground on my side, and Marcus lies facing me, putting his arm over me. I gently kiss his lips and fall asleep.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN: Aw! (Didn't see any of that coming.)_**

**_What do you guys think so far?_**

**_Well, review and let me know!_**

**_If you love it, favorite it!_**

**_If you hate it, then I don't know why you're still reading._**

**_XOXO ~Alexis2259_**


	22. Chapter 22

When I wake, I feel around for Marcus. Instead I find emptiness. I shoot straight up and look around the hideout. No one is there. I start to panic. I grab my sword and crawl out. I run to the creek, and find Kennedie sitting on the rock and Evan and Marcus floating in the water. Marcus sees me.

"Hey Sapphire!" He says, smiling. I scowl at him.

"Why did you guys leave me? I couldn't find you! I almost had a heart attack!" I say. I'm about to break down and cry. Marcus rushes out of the water. I start to cry, and he holds me in his arms, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

"I'm so sorry Annelise. You looked so tired, I didn't want to wake you." He says.

I start to feel anger boil up inside of me.

"You could have at least had someone stay there so I wouldn't freak out when I woke up and found no one!" I say, yelling, but I'm crying too, so it comes out in a slur. He pulls me close to him, rocking me until I calm down. I feel three again. When I would cry, my mother would hold me and rock me in her arms. It always made me feel better.

"Please don't leave me." I whisper into his neck.

"Never." He whispers back

Kennedie and Evan come up beside me, helping to calm me down, apologizing. When I'm stable again, I kick off my shoes and socks and join Kennedie on the rock, my feet dangling in the water. Marcus comes up in front of me.

"Come on in, the water feels great." He says. I shake my head, but he grabs my wrists and pulls me in. I go under, and come back up, laughing. He splashes my face with water, and Evan dunks him under the water. We all splash around, laughing. Marcus picks Evan up and throws him into the water. He pops up and drags Kennedie into the water too.

I lay on my back floating, when Marcus comes up beside me.

"So are you still mad at me?" He asks. I look into those blue eyes and I can tell he is truly sorry. I wrap my arms around his neck and press my lips to his. He wraps his arms around my waist, holding me close.

"I'll take that as a no." He says, and pulls me in for another kiss. The sounds of three cannons break us apart. That leaves 43 tributes.

I get out of the water and lay out on the rock to dry. The sun warms me and I fill my lungs with the smell of pond lilies.

I go to put on my shoes and socks, and find myself face to face with another tribute. Before I can even process what is happening, I take my sword and stab him through the stomach. He collapses to the ground, holding his stomach, when five other tributes come out behind them.

"Guys!" I yell out. Marcus Kennedie and Evan rush over, weapons in hand, facing off with the five tributes. The boy's cannon goes off. Another boy throws a knife at us, but I deflect it with my sword. I take off running towards them, with Kennedie, Marcus and Evan close behind. Marcus easily takes down one with his gun. Kennedie takes her knife and stabs one of the girls in her throat.

One of the tributes trip, and I stab him before he can get up. That leaves two more. They both only have knifes, and when one throws his towards me, it is clear they don't know how to use them. But one does come up behind Marcus. He hits him in his left temple with his fist, causing him to black out.

"Marcus!" I scream. Before the boy can stab him, I slice his head off. Evan spears the remaining tribute, and then six cannons go off. I run over to Marcus and place his head gently in my lap.

"We need to get him in the hideout." I say. Kennedie lifts him by his shoulders and I lift him from his feet. We carry him to the hideout, where we gently drag him in. Evan retrieves our weapons. I lay Marcus on the blanket, with his head in my lap. I'm not sure what to do. I just stroke his hair, waiting for him to gain consciousness. An hour later, his eyes flutter open. I feel instantly relieved and a huge smile breaks across my face.

"Marcus! How are you feeling?" I ask. He sits up, holding his left temple with his hand.

"My head is killing me. What happened?" He asks. I open up the first aid kit and pull out some painkillers. I give him two and have him drink some water while I tell him what happened.

"You might have a concussion. You need to rest." I tell him. He doesn't object. He places his head back on my lap and drifts asleep. I rub his left temple, where a bump has formed. Kennedie sleeps while Evan and I keep watch. When night time comes, the six tributes faces' appear. I eat some berries with Evan.

"Evan, we are low on food. I'm going to go hunt. You keep watch." I say. He starts to object, but I climb out before he can. I take Marcus's gun.

I climb up into a tree and sit for thirty minutes, waiting for game to wander by. I spot a deer only about 30 yards away. I shoot it and climb down to retrieve it. I sit by the creek and skin it. I throw the remains down stream.

I go to the spot where we had our fire last night, and find it still smoldering. I slice the deer and cook it. When I finish, I take the cooked meat to the hideout. Kennedie is awake, so I give her and Evan some, making sure to save enough for Marcus. He wakes after a while, and I give him some. I set the rest of the deer in the basket.

Before long, I start to yawn and decide to lie down.

"Kennedie, Evan, can you take watch?" I ask. They nod their heads. I pull Marcus over to the blanket and lay down.

I put my head on his chest, and his arm goes around me. The steady beat of his heart acts as a lullaby, soothing me, and I swear that I will never let it stop beating.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Hey guys, thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate it!**_

_**I have come down with a case of writers' block. It is literally driving me crazy, so I would really appreciate it if you guys could let me know what you think should happen next(:**_

_**Happy reading!**_

_**XOXO ~Alexis2259**_


	23. Chapter 23

I wake at the sound of a cannon going off. Marcus is still sleeping, and Kennedie dozed off, leaving Evan to keep watch alone. I wake Kennedie and have her go lay down.

"You can go ahead and sleep too. I can take it from here." I tell Evan. He is hesitant at first, but fatigue wins out. I get my water from my pack and take small sips. I crawl out and set a few snares away from the hideout and quickly crawl back in. The hours tick away and the sun starts to make it's appearance in the sky. I think back to all that's happened in the past few days. I start to feel depressed so I try and think of other things.

Then some questions pop into my head. What does my family think about all this kissing? I picture Daniel teasing me about it, which causes me to smile. How is Jane and their father going along without him?

I hear something land on the mat blocking the entrance, and I grab my sword and investigate. A plate of warm bread and some cheese is attached to a silver parachute. I grab it and bring it in to the hideout. I slice the bread and smear it with cheese. I put some berries on top of each slice.

I wake everyone up and give them two pieces each, leaving sixteen pieces and more than half of the cheese. After days of raw animal and berries, this is a delicious treat. We spend most of the day in our hideout. I leave to go check the snares and come back with two rabbits. For lunch we finish off the deer with some bread and cheese. No one seems to be in the mood for talking. Two more cannons fire.

The number of tributes left is dropping quickly. I know this means breaking the alliance with Kennedie and Evan, and I know they know too. I decide to talk to Marcus about it when they are sleeping. We step out to the creek to re-clean our wounds.

The cool water feels good on my skin. The temperature during the day is slowly rising as each day passes, and the temperature at night is slowly dropping. Another cannon goes off, and we decide to head back to the hideout. Night comes quickly, and I insist Marcus and I take the first watch. Kennedie and Evan both lay down, and after a while, I check to make sure they are sleeping.

"Marcus, these tributes are dropping like flies. We're going to have to break the alliance soon." I say, whispering.

"I know, but not too soon." He says.

"I say when there are about 20 tributes left. Hopefully someone else kills them so we don't have to." I say.

To tell you the truth, if it came down to us four, I wouldn't be able to kill them.

"Hopefully." He says.

We sit across from each other in silence after that. The sky comes alive with the pictures of the dead tributes. I pop a few berries in my mouth, letting the flavor explode on my tongue. I toss a few over to Marcus, who catches them in his mouth.

"How's your head feeling? Do you need more medicine?" I ask.

"I'm fine, thanks." He says. I crawl over to him and sit next to him. His left arm goes around me automatically, pulling me closer to him.

"Marcus, a few days ago you said you had a soft spot for me and Jane." I start.

"What makes me so special? I know you love Jane more than anything, so when did I become so important?" I ask.

"I don't know really. From the minute I saw you, I just wanted to protect you." He says. He takes my hand. Our fingers entwine and he continues.

"You and Jane are the only people I'm absolutely sure I care about." He leans down and I meet him half-way, bringing my lips to his.

It feels different from the previous kisses we have shared. I felt something stirring in my stomach each time, but this one feels like fire. It spreads through my body, warming me, making my body tingle. I love the feeling, and hope it never goes away. Evan taps me on the shoulder, bringing me back to reality.

I turn my head, facing him.

"One of you can lie down." He says. Marcus kisses my cheek.

"Go ahead and get some sleep." He tells me.

I don't move, instead I lay my head on his shoulder and close my eyes.

I'm awoken by the sound of two tributes talking outside our hideout. I start to speak, but Marcus places his hand over my mouth and brings his finger up to his lips, signaling me to be quiet. I can't make out what they are saying, and then I hear a shrill scream. I hear a boy yelling out the girl's name, before he lets out a scream of pain. I feel a tear go down my cheek. No one deserves what they are putting us through.

Kennedie shoots straight up, about to scream, until Evan places his hand over her mouth to stop her. We listen, helplessly, as the two cannons fire. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to stop the tears. We wait until we hear someone running away. I quickly bury my face in Marcus's shirt, hiding from the cameras.

I come up after a few minutes. I see Kennedie has curled up into a ball on the ground, crying her eyes out. I go over to comfort her. She stops crying after some time. We all eat some rabbit and a slice of bread. Kennedie and I stay awake to keep watch. Marcus and Evan lie on the blanket to sleep. After much silence, Kennedie breaks it.

"I heard what you said. About having to break the alliance soon." She says.

For a moment, I don't understand. Then I realize what she is talking about.

"I'm sorry. But we both know it's true." I say, feeling a bit ashamed.

She nods her head.

"I know it is, but I hope you know, I plan on winning." She says, in a serious tone.

_I have no trouble killing you if you stand in my way._ Is what I get from that.

"So what, do you plan on killing me and Marcus?" I ask.

She just stares at me, her eyes burning into mine.

"If I have to, I will." She says. I feel like shouting terrible things at her, but I resist.

I don't think it would be too hard to kill her if I had to now.


	24. Chapter 24

The tension between me and Kennedie can be cut with a knife. I no longer trust her, and I will make sure that I am always awake when she is. Perhaps I'm over-reacting, but you can't be too sure in this place. One wrong move and you're almost guaranteed a knife in your back. When everyone is awake, we eat and then head to the creek.

I kick off my shoes and socks and step into the cool water. I scrub my skin off with my hands and run my fingers through my hair a few times. I keep a close eye on Kennedie the entire time. I remove my shirt, leaving on my undershirt, and take my socks to wash them. I lay them on the ground to dry off. I spot some cattails growing on the edge of the creek.

I always loved these. My mother hates them and would freak out when I brought one near her. I run my hand over one, laughing at the thought of my mother's reaction to them. She says she doesn't like them because they feel weird. I would always pick a bunch and try to give them to her. Marcus comes up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist.

"Hey Sapphire." He says. He kisses my cheek.

"Hey. Want some cattails?" I ask, holding out one. He laughs and takes it.

"Well thank you, darling." He says. I laugh, because he sounds exactly like my father. I move my head around Marcus to see what Kennedie is doing. She sees me looking and rolls her eyes. Marcus turns his head over and sees this.

"What was that about?" He asks me.

"It's a long story, I'll tell you later." I say. He nods and kisses me.

"I bet I can swim faster than you." I say.

"I bet you can't." He says. I get out of his grasp and start swimming as fast as I can upstream. He follows closely behind, but I'm too fast for him.

"I told you." I say with a giggle.

"You had a head start." He says.

"Whatever stops the tears." We float around for a while, until I see Kennedie get up and walk towards the hideout. I quickly get out of the water and dash past her into the hideout. I slip a knife in my pocket before she comes in.

"Sorry about that. I got really thirsty all of the sudden." I say as I grab my water container. I can tell she doesn't buy it, but she doesn't question me. She simply grabs her knife and puts it in her pocket.

"We shouldn't be out in the open without protection." She says.

"Good point." I say, and I grab my sword and Marcus's gun and follow her out.

I don't get back in the water. I put my clothes back on and lace up my boots. I watch Kennedie carefully from the corner of my eyes, while Marcus and Evan wade around in the creek. She is keeping a watchful eye on me too. Evan and Marcus must feel the tension between me and her too, because they keep looking over at us. Four cannons go off. 73 dead.

Then, another three cannons go off. Then one more. I look at Marcus, alarmed. Him and Evan quickly get out of the water. I toss him his gun and grab my sword. Kennedie holds out her knife, and we all stand back-to-back waiting for a group of tributes to come out.

But they never do. Instead, a giant bear comes out of the woods. It stands about 8 feet tall, blood dripping from it's claws and mouth. My first reaction is to grab Marcus's hand and drag him to our hideout. We dash towards it, and the bear starts to pursue us. When we are safely inside, I realize Kennedie and Evan are still out there. I go to crawl out and retrieve them, but Marcus grabs my arm, pulling me back in.

"Annelise, its not worth it!" He yells. I hear Evan scream and the bear lets out a loud growl.

"Evan! Evan!" I hear Kennedie yell. A cannon fires, and I assume it's Evan's.

"No!" I scream, and I slip out of Marcus's grasp and climb out the hole. He is screaming my name, but I keep going. When I'm out, I see the bear holding Evan's body in his mouth. Kennedie is paralyzed in fear, not moving, as the bear charges after her.

I run to her and start pushing her to the hideout. Once I have her moving, the bear charges towards us. I run as fast as I can, while trying not to knock Kennedie over. I feel the bear's claw rip a gash on my right leg, and I let out a cry of pain. I keep moving, until we finally reach the entrance. I shove Kennedie into the hole, and quickly scurry in. When I get in, I collapse on the ground, holding my leg. Kennedie is crying hysterically.

"Annelise!" Marcus is shouting. I hear the bear growl and claw at the ground.

"Marcus! The bear got my leg." I shout back. He comes over and examines it.

I can feel that I am laying in a puddle of blood. Three long claw marks go down the side of my calf, and it feels like someone has lit it on fire. I grab Evan's spare socks from his bag and press it to my leg, trying to staunch the flow of blood.

The bear finally gives up and moves on. My leg won't stop bleeding. After fifteen minutes, Marcus speaks up.

"We need to get you to the creek to clean this. Its completely covered in blood and I cant see anything." I can sense the panic in his voice. I weakly crawl out and collapse on the ground outside of the hideout. He grabs the first-aid kit and carries me to the edge of the water. He takes my water container and slowly pours water over my leg, washing away the blood.

"This kit has stitches in it." He says.

"Well use them." I say

"I don't know how." He says, the panic still in his voice.

"Marcus! Stay calm. Just do your best, we don't have much choice." I say.

He grabs them and starts to stitch up my wounds. It doesn't feel too pleasant, but I don't complain. After a while, he looks up.

"It will have to do for now." He says.

I decide against looking at it. He takes some cotton balls that were in the kit and soaks them in rubbing alcohol, dabbing them on my wounds. I flinch a little each time, but when he's done, he wraps it in some bandage. I sit up. My leg still feels on fire, but the pain isn't as intense.

"Thank you." I say.

"Annelise, that was a really stupid idea. Why did you run out there?" He says. His voice is rising and I can tell I really scared him.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think. I just ran out there before I had any idea what I was doing." I say, in an innocent voice. Instead of yelling at me, he hugs me.

"Please don't do anything crazy like that again." He says.

"I don't want to lose you."

"I'm sorry. It wont happen again, I promise." I reply. I give him a tender kiss.

"We should head back inside." I say. I can't walk on my leg yet, so Marcus grabs me a stick to use as a crutch. I walk to the hideout entrance and slowly drag myself in. Kennedie is still on the ground crying. I wrap her in the blanket and leave her alone. She falls asleep after an hour or so. I dump the contents of Evan's bag into mine.

"Goodbye, Evan." I quietly mutter.


	25. Chapter 25

The next two days are uneventful. A total of four cannons go off in these two days, bringing the number of tributes left to eighteen. We just sit in our hideout, taking turns on watch and hunting for food. But now we have to break the alliance. Evan is gone, so nothing is stopping me.

Breaking the alliance would mean having to find a new hideout. She could easily team up with someone and give them our location. I plan to set up camp on the beach, when the number of tributes is very low. We could stay in the trees, but that might not work, considering Marcus's size and our injuries.

I decide to see how things play out before I make any decisions. Kennedie has been a wreck since Evan's death. I didn't know that he meant so much to her, but he must have because she is constantly crying. This is what stops me from breaking the alliance. Sending her alone in this condition would be like putting a huge neon arrow above her.

Then again, an unstable opponent is an easy opponent…

The moon is rising up above the trees. When Kennedie is asleep, and Marcus and I are keeping watch, I decide to talk to him about it.

"When are we going to break this alliance? She is so unstable, and it doesn't seem right to throw her out there like that." I say

"We have to do it soon. I don't care how unstable she is, we have to leave soon." He says. His voice seems a little insensitive.

"It just seems wrong." I say. His blue eyes stare intensely into mine.

"Annelise, if we want to win, it means we have to make sacrifices. No matter how bad it is." He says.

I sense irritation in his voice. Usually, I would counter with something, but I haven't been getting nearly enough sleep. Every minute Kennedie is awake, I am, and I usually stay up with Marcus. I'm no good to anyone tired.

"Ok. Whatever, but I'm tired. Wake me when Kennedie gets up." I reply, harshly.

"Fine." He replies, just as harsh. I huff and wrap myself in part of the blanket and fall asleep. I wake up, and the sun is already starting to set again. Kennedie is already up, keeping watch with Marcus.

"Marcus, why didn't you wake me!" I say. They both look at me.

"You haven't been getting enough sleep. Nothing has happened, so I didn't see the need to wake you." He says. He doesn't look me in the eyes, which lets me know that he must be mad at me. I start to feel guilty, like I always do when people are mad at me.

I grab my sword and crawl out to set some snares. We finished off all the bread and berries, so we need some meat. I set about five and go sit by the creek.

I sit on the rock, bringing my knees to my chest, watching the water flow. I clean my leg with some water and re wrap it. I finally got a look at the stitches. I'm not sure if they are exactly medical protocol, but they work well enough.

I lay my head on my knees listening to the water flow off the rocks. Marcus comes out and takes a seat next to me. He brought out the crackers from my pack. He rips them open and holds his hand out to give me some. I look at his hand, then to his eyes. He sits them by me, and turns to eat his.

I pick mine up and nibble on them. We sit in silence, until I cant take it anymore.

"Marcus, please don't be mad at me. I can't take the silent treatment." I blurt out. I avoid looking at him, but I can feel him looking at me.

"I'm not mad at you, I just don't know what is keeping you from leaving her. Like… your choosing her over me" He says. I turn my body to face him. This catches me off guard, making me feel even more guilty.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm sorry I made you feel that way, but part of me says throwing her out into this by herself in her condition is wrong and inhuman." I say, trying to sound as sorry as possible.

"This is the Hunger Games. Right and wrong don't exist here." He says. And sadly, its true.

I think back to a time, when I took pride in my country. When anything like this was the stuff books were based on. But now it's a reality, and any sliver of human decency that was left is being ripped away.

I take his hand and wrap my fingers around his. He lifts up my hand and brings it to his lips.

We sit holding hands until my stomach starts to growl. I let out a laugh and take Marcus to go check the traps. We walk with our hands still connected until we reach the snares. They caught two fat rabbits and an animal I haven't seen before. I don't want to take the chance, so I throw it into the bushes. We start a small fire to cook the food with, and I grab some pine needles and make some tea.

I get Kennedie, who was still sleeping. She doesn't say anything, except a quiet thank you when we hand her stuff. A cannon shot fires. Seventeen left. I look over at Marcus. _Two more. _I mouth to him. He nods and goes back to eating his rabbit.

We try and start up conversation with Kennedie, but she only nods her head, never looking up. Finally I give up and stop trying.

Marcus kicks some dirt on the fire until it dies out and we all go back to the hideout. Kennedie immediately plops down on the blanket.

I start to shiver, with the night getting cooler. I cover Kennedie up and find my place next to Marcus. His arms wrap around my body, keeping me warm.

I don't feel tired, but Marcus must be tired. I force him to lie down, and he does. I start to shiver again. I'm use to being cold, though. My father always takes us camping and we rough it, so the nights are usually spent in cold.

I count the hairs on my head while I wait for the sun to make an appearance. The night seems to drag on, but the sun eventually come up. By mid-day, Marcus wakes. He stretches and crawls over to me to give me a kiss.

"Morning Sapphire." He says. I smile and tell him good morning. Kennedie will probably sleep all day, so I take Marcus to the creek to go for a little swim. We kick off our socks and shoes and float around. I find some flat rocks, and we have a contest to see who can skip them the furthest. He wins. Everything is peaceful and quiet.

I see Kennedie step out of the hideout. She has a crazed look in her eyes, and I can tell something is about to happen. She has her knife in her hand. I step out of the creek and walk towards her. She raises her knife.

"Stay back!" She screams. I stop in my tracks, keeping eye contact. I don't know what she's doing, but I have a feeling she has a plan to kill me.

"One more move and I will take you with me!" She screams. Marcus holds on to my wrist, and I immediately realize what she is about to do.

"Kennedie, put the knife down. You don't know what your doing." I say, trying to keep my voice level and calm. But inside I'm panicking. She doesn't move, but her eyes narrow on me.

"I wont let you kill me." She says.

"I'm not going to kill you." I say.

"Liar! You have been planning it this whole time!" She yells. "I cant take it anymore! I don't want to live in a world that takes the lives of innocent children! You are just a piece in these games, but I refuse to be!"

"Kennedie, please don't!" I beg. But I'm too late. She takes the knife and shoves it into her chest, piercing her heart.

I start to scream, but Marcus immediately puts his hand over my mouth before it can escape my lips. I collapse onto my knees, crying hysterically. Her cannon goes off. He lets go of my mouth, and I start making choking noises while I'm crying. He scoops me up and takes me to the hideout. I crawl in, but immediately fall on top of the blanket, crying. I can't see anything through the tears.

_That didn't just happen, you are just having a horrible dream._ I tell myself over and over, but I know its not true.

Kennedie just committed suicide.

Marcus sits me in his lap, and I wrap my arms around his neck and lay my head on his chest. He doesn't say anything, he just holds me tightly in his arms. When I feel like I have ran out of tears, I sit, sniffling. He pushes my hair out of my face and lays his head on top of mine.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I awake, its night and I'm still on Marcus's lap. He hasn't let go of me though. I really start to feel thankful for him now. He always makes me feel safe, and puts up with all the crying I have done lately. I don't know where I would be at this point without him here.

I would probably be dead by now.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: This was an emotional chapter to write. My friend suggested it, so I went ahead and gave it a shot.**_

_**Im kind of having mixed feelings about it. Let me know what you think?**_

_**And thank you guys sooooo much for the reviews! You have no idea how much it means to me! Thank you! **_

_**XOXO ~Alexis2259**_


	26. Chapter 26

With only sixteen tributes left, the number of tributes dying a day will drop. Eventually, everyone will start to get bored and they will add some twist to the game to keep it interesting. We might have a few days before anything happens. I wonder what the audience thinks of the romance going on, and if that might be enough, at least for a while longer.

We mostly eat, sleep, and keep watch all day. I decide to start up conversation.

"Isn't it funny how we are both risking our lives to protect each other, but I don't know simple things about you, like your middle name or favorite color?" I say.

He looks over at me and smiles.

"My middle name is James, and my favorite color is brown. What about you?" He says

"Marie and blue." I reply.

We spend time asking simple questions back and forth. I'm surprised at how much we have in common, which only makes me like him even more. Something lands outside. A big pot of steaming chicken soup. It even came with silverware and bowls. I scoop out a big bowl of soup for both of us. I try and savor it, but it's so good I finish the whole bowl in five minutes.

"We should save the rest for later." I tell him. It's enough to last us the rest of the day and half of tomorrow.

"Sounds good."

I sit next to him and wrap the blanket around our shoulders. The sun is setting and the temperature is dropping. He falls asleep before I do, so I stay up as long as I can. At sunrise, I wake him so I can get some sleep. I lay my head down on his lap, and he plays with my hair until I fall asleep. I wake to the sound of two cannons firing. I sit up. I run my fingers through my hair, and come across a big knot.

"Did you have a little trouble?" I ask, teasingly.

"I got bored and tried to braid your hair. It didn't work too well." He says. I can't help but laugh.

"Practice makes perfect." I tell him. I grab two bowls full of soup and we eat.

After were done, I grab my sword and water container to refill it. I crawl out, and Marcus grabs his gun to follow me. I grab his hand and we walk to the water's edge. He watches while I fill up and purify the water. The sun is high in the sky and the temperature is very warm. I scoop up some water and splash it on my face. It immediately cools my skin, invigorating me.

I decide to go for a swim. Marcus doesn't get in; he just sits on the rock, watching me carefully. The water feels perfect. I lay on my back looking up at the sky. The clouds are starting to get darker. In fact, they seem to be getting unnaturally darker and bigger. Before I can even think, a down pour of rain comes down.

I hop out of the water, and the air is instantly cooler. I start to shiver, and we climb into the hideout quickly. Water is starting to fill up the hideout.

"We have to leave before it floods." Marcus tells me. So we grab our things and I wrap myself in the blanket. And just like that, we're gone. The rain clouds seem to only be around our area, but we have to stay by the creek. We make our way upstream until the rain stops. The air is warmer, so I remove the blanket. There doesn't seem to be any shelter, so I decide to improvise.

I find two sturdy branches that are about seven feet long each and dig them into the ground. I stretch the blanket across the two and jam four stick into the corners, holding them to the ground.

"Nice tent." He says. There is no sarcasm in his voice, so I thank him. We decide to start a fire and heat up the chicken soup. I drag a log to the side of the fire and we sit on it and eat, our hands connected. The sun starts to set, and I have Marcus go lay inside the tent so he will be able to stay awake on his watch. I sit staring at the fire, my sword close at hand. I hear noise behind me, and quickly get up with my sword in hand. A rabbit comes out, and I let out a huff.

"I'm getting all worked up over a rabbit." I say, quietly to myself. I kill it and clean it. I cook it on the fire, eating half, saving the rest for Marcus. The moon is completely dark. I try to think of what it was at before we came here. I hear Marcus moving around in the tent, and I go to check it out. He is mumbling something under his breath. It almost sounds like he is saying my name. He is beginning to breathe rapidly. I shake him awake. His eyes shoot open.

He starts panting, and grabs my face in his hands. Relief crosses his eyes when he sees me.

"Are you ok? What's wrong?" I ask him. He pulls me in and gives me a long, tender kiss.

"Nothing. Just a bad dream." He says.

"Go back to sleep." I tell him, whispering. I kiss his cheek and go back to the fire. I wonder what Marcus was dreaming about. He certainly looked happy to see me.

I look back at the sky, and am amazed at the number of stars. I don't know if it's just a projected image or something, because I have never seen so many stars. I even see a shooting star and I make a wish.

_Please let us make it out of here alive._

I pour some water on the fire and go sit next to him.

The reason I'm still alive, the one I promised that we would both be going home, one of the few people on this planet I would risk my life to protect, is laying next to me. Fate has thrown us together in a twisted way, but I feel lucky all the same.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: So this chapter is uneventful, just mostly fluff. **_

_**But thank you guys sooooooooo very much for the reviews! **_

_**Enjoy!  
><strong>_

_**XOXO ~Alexis2259**_


	27. Chapter 27

The moon slowly progresses across the sky, being replaced by the warm morning sun. The birds chirp happily in the trees. A breeze blows across the ground, picking up a few leaves with it. The air smells of pine. If we weren't worried about being killed, this would be a relaxing place to be. I think back to home again.

My house is set back in the woods, and I would always go and lay in a hammock I set up and let the wind rock me. I realize how much I took everything for granted, never realizing how quickly it could be taken away. It took a fight for my life to realize it.

Marcus yawns and sits up. I give him a kiss and he smiles

"Good to see you this morning." He says.

We have a little chicken soup left, so I pour us some and we eat. I go and set up a few snares and find a tree with nuts. I recognized these, so I grab a bunch and crack them open with a rock. I throw the shells into the woods and put the nuts in the basket. I take a sip of water.

"So what happened last night?" I ask

"What do you mean?" He says, confused.

"You seemed like you were having a nightmare, and when I woke you, you seemed relieved and kissed me."

"What, you don't like me kissing you?" He asks, teasingly.

"No, I do," I say, blushing, "I just want to know what your dream was about. I think you were mumbling my name."

He thinks back.

"I don't remember exactly what it was; all I remember was that I lost you." He says.

I hug him and he holds me close.

"I'm not going anywhere." I whisper in his ear.

We sit, embracing each other, for how long I don't know. I kiss his neck and let go. A cannon goes off, then another quickly after. This arena must not be very big, because people seem to keep running into each other.

A lightning bolt hit's the ground, not too far away from us. I look out and see small pieces off the ground fly up, on fire. This is no natural lightning, and I know we are in for some trouble.

"We need to go." I tell Marcus, quickly packing our things. He catches on and grabs his things. We start to take off, when the lightning strikes the ground, not too far from us. I stop on my heels and start to take off in the other direction, when another bolt hits the ground in front of us. A chunk of a bush the lightning hit swipes across my abdomen, burning it. I let out a moan and take off towards where the lightning just hit.

The lightning seems to be following us, and it strikes a tree. The tree falls, on fire, separating Marcus from me.

"Marcus! Marcus are you ok?" I scream.

"I'm fine! Go before another bolt hits. I'll catch up soon." It takes everything in me to take off, but I do.

A cannon goes off, stopping me in my tracks. Instinctively, I run back to where I left Marcus. He's isn't there, and I start to panic. While I'm panicking, someone grabs my wrist. I fling around and see Marcus is pulling me.

"Annelise! I told you to go!" He shouts, pulling me along.

"I'm sorry! I heard a cannon go off and came back here to get you!" I shout back. The lightning bolts are hitting all around, and we keep running, dodging the bolts as they strike the ground. Another piece of something on fire lands on Marcus's shoulder. He lets out a grunt, but doesn't stop.

My abdomen burns like crazy, but I push through the pain, until we make it to the meadow. The lightning seems to be only striking the woods, so we collapse in the meadow, surrounded by the strong sent of flowers and grass. Our breathing is rapid, and we lay until it returns to normal. I sit up to examine my abdomen. My shirt is completely singed at the bottom, so I cut it off. My undershirt is burnt too, so I cut it too. Now my shirt stops at the middle of my ribs. I feel awkward in this shirt, because I never was one for really showing off skin, but I push the thought away. Both of Marcus's sleeves are singed, so I cut them both. He only has a burn on his right shoulder though.

The sound of waves crashing on the shore breaks through. I remember that the meadow isn't very far away from the beach. I lay the blanket out and sit on it. I grab a handful of nuts and eat them.

"Now we have to find another source of water." I tell him.

"The ocean isn't an option, and we left our creek. Maybe we can find something in the grasses." I say, pointing to the field behind the meadow.

"Ok, let's look tomorrow. You need some sleep." He says. I start to object, but he puts his finger on my lips.

"No arguing. Just sleep." He says. I guess arguing would be pointless. He lies on the ground, and I lay next to him, resting my head on his left shoulder. We wrap ourselves in the blanket and I pull it over my head. Heat must be radiating off of our burns, because it gets hot inside the covers and I have to push them down so they are only covering my legs. I drift off to sleep just as the sun sets.

I wake up at sunrise and a soft breeze is blowing through the meadow. I stretch on the ground before I sit up. I decide we need to go find water, so I wrap up the blanket and stuff it in my pack. I pull out my water container and Evan's water bottle, still unopened. I toss it over to Marcus.

"We need to look for water now. Go ahead and drink some of it." I say. We head to the tall grass, and find that it's about a foot taller than I am. I try my best to hide out tracks, but it isn't easy.

After hours of walking, we find an opening in the grass. A small pond sits in the middle of the clearing, and I don't see any signs of other tributes.

"Perfect." I say.

I kneel next to the pond and stick my arm in. the pond is arm-deep. Some water plants are growing around the pond. I pull one up and recognize the roots from the book we used at home. I gather as many as I can and put them in the basket with the nuts. I also find some wild onions and I pick a few, placing them in the basket as well. I pour some water on my stomach, and feel a cooling sensation on my burn. I let out a sigh and pour some more water on. I examine the burn more closely. It runs from one side of my stomach to the other.

I get a handful of water and come up behind Marcus. I pour it on his burn and he lets out a sigh of relief.

"That felt good." He says, and I drag him to the edge of the pond and keep pouring water on his shoulder.

I lay the blanket on the ground. The ground is soft, and I lay looking up at the sky. I fill my lungs with the cool air. I bite into an onion, and it tastes sweet. Everything seems calm. But I know it won't last long.


	28. Chapter 28

I take the first watch and Marcus wraps me in the blanket with him. I watch the dead tributes picture's flash across the sky. I count on my fingers on how many are left. Only 11. I try and think how long we have been in the arena, but I can't.

I watch all around us. I get out of the blanket and sit on the edge of the water, pouring it on my burn. At almost perfect timing, a silver parachute floats down in front of me. I rip off the shiny wrapping and find an unlabeled tube. I open it and squeeze a little on my finger. It's a thick white cream. I study it and rub some on my burn. I feel instant relief, and it stays. Burn ointment.

I look up. "Thank you!" I whisper, loudly. I rub some more on my stomach and go over and put some on Marcus's shoulder. I'm careful not to wake him. I start to feel cold again and I go back into the blanket. A cannon fires, which makes me realize I was starting to doze off. I pinch myself, trying to stay awake. Soon my eyelids get heavy and I wake Marcus to get some sleep.

"Wow. My shoulder feels better." He says.

"Oh yea, our sponsors sent us some burn ointment. I put some on your shoulder." I say, right before I fall asleep. I have a dream, finally a peaceful one. My family, Marcus, and Kaitlynn are all having a picnic in the woods. The sun is setting behind the trees and a cool wind sweeps through. Everyone is laughing and playing. Then I open my eyes.

The smile that was on my face quickly goes away. I sit up and look around. This isn't a picnic. This is the extreme opposite. I pull off my covers and join Marcus by the water's edge. He gives me a warm smile and wraps his arm around my shoulder.

"Did you have a good dream? You looked really happy." He says.

"It was." I say, thinking back to it.

"Where's the burn ointment?" I ask. He hands me the tube and I squeeze some onto my stomach, rubbing it in. I ask him if he wants some and I rub it on his shoulder. We sit, side by side, our feet dangling in the water.

A knife shoots between our heads, barely missing us. We quickly jump to our feet. A girl steps out. She looks about thirteen, with glistening red hair and green eyes. I grab my sword and throw Marcus his gun. She has two other knives in her left hand, and she narrows her sight at us.

Another tribute comes up behind us, but the girl throws her knife, successfully landing in the boy's throat. His cannon goes off, and the girl runs towards us. I take off towards her, and she throws her knife. I deflect it with my sword, and slam her to the ground. My boot is on her chest, holding her down. I bring my sword just to her throat, prepared to kill. Then something unexpected happens.

She starts to cry. Tears pour down her face, and she pleads for me to kill her quickly and painlessly. I feel confused, and my hands drop at my side.

"I can't do it." I say.

I feel like a monster, so easily ready to kill her. Maybe if she wouldn't have started crying, it would have been easier. She is still crying, but is looking at me, confused as well. I can't let her go, though. If I want to make it home, she has to die now.

"Marcus. I can't. Please, make it quick." I say. He stands over the girl, and she squeezes her eyes shut, preparing for death.

I turn, not wanting to watch it. I wince at the sound of the gun shot. Then a cannon sounds off. I never look back. I sit by the water, bringing my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs. I don't feel like crying, I just feel empty.

I think back to what Kennedie said, before she took her life.

"_You are just a piece in these games, but I refuse to be."_

She was right. I have killed people, and not even given it a second thought. I want to be more than a piece in the games, but I have no choice. I want to go home. And that means I will have to fight.

I don't talk for the rest of the day. I just stare at the water, as the wind blows across the surface, making small waves. Marcus lies down to sleep, so I stay more alert. The two tribute's faces appear in the sky. It starts to get cold so I slip in next to Marcus.

In the wee hours of the morning, a cannon goes off. Marcus wakes up when it fires and tries to get me to sleep. I eat some onion and pond roots, and try to stay up as long as I can. My eyes are trying to stay closed every time I blink, so I give in and lie down for some shut-eye.

When I wake, it's past noon and the day is the hottest so far. I drink some water and rub some more ointment on my stomach. I splash some water on my face and collect more pond roots. We are almost out of the nuts, so I split them between Marcus and I and we split an onion.

"We should go hunt. We could use some meat." I say.

"It's risky. Someone could come here and take our spot or we could run into some trouble along the way." He says.

"We have the same risk just staying here. Unless you want to stay and I'll go hunt." I say.

"No. I'm not leaving your side." He says. I know he won't budge, because he's just as stubborn as me. I guess we will just have to live off of nuts, roots, and onions for a while.

"So tell me about your brother and sister." He says.

I think for a moment. I don't mind telling him, but I really don't care for the rest of the nation hearing about them.

"Well what do you want to know?" I ask

"Anything you want to tell me."

"Well, Becca is Jane's age, and Daniel is 14. Becca is sweet and shy."

"Kind of like you." He says.

"I guess. But she can sing like an angel. Daniel is more outgoing, and can always make me laugh. He acts tough, but he has a soft side." I say, laughing. "Tell me about Jane."

He smiles.

"She's pretty laid back, but she is funny and outgoing too. She acts like an adult, but there are some nights when I play her a lullaby on my guitar to help her fall asleep." He says.

"You play guitar?" I ask. This is the first I have heard of this.

"Yea, I'm pretty good." He says. "When we get out of here, maybe I'll play you a song."

_If we make it,_ I think.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: Sorry I wasn't able to update for two days. I had a big project due, then my computer wouldn't let me log onto here! It was frustrating.**_

_**So any ideas about how this story should go on from here? Let me know(:**_

_**XOXO ~Alexis2259**_


	29. Chapter 29

The sun sets and I tuck myself away in the blanket. I fall into a dreamless sleep. I wake up at night and go to take watch while Marcus sleeps. I clean my sword and knives until morning. The sun rises and Marcus wakes. Before he can even say anything, a cannon goes off. Then another. Then another.

I know we're in for another surprise.

I grab my sword and Marcus has his gun. I have two knives, so I toss him one. I see two birds fly overhead, and they land a mere twenty feet from us. It's no ordinary bird. It has the appearance of a hawk, but twice the size with razor sharp talons. My first reaction is to run. I grab Marcus's hand and we take off.

The birds start to fly after us, and we can barely outrun them. I feel Marcus jerk back and hear him cry out in pain. One bird lands in front of me. I immediately stop. Marcus and I stand back to back. I take my sword and slice through the bird, but another one takes it's place. Another cannon goes off.

"There could be hundreds of these things!" I yell to Marcus. He takes his gun and shoots the one in front of him, but it's quickly replaced too. The bird lunges at me, and I swing my sword, cutting it in half. Another bird replaces it. We fight off the birds, but they are replaced each time.

"This isn't working! They're just going to keep being replaced by other birds!" Marcus yells. I pause for a minute.

"I have an idea!" I yell to Marcus, and I take off to our spot, grabbing our supplies. I quickly come back, and pull the matches out of my pack. I strike one and throw it on the ground.

The grasses immediately catch on fire, and soon an inferno of flames is in front of me. The bird's wing in front of me catches fire, until the whole bird is on fire, squawking, falling to the ground.

I grab Marcus and take off in the other direction. No birds pursue us, and many squawking sounds come from the grasses. Looks like my plan worked. We run, with flames quickly coming up behind us, until we make it to the meadow.

I don't want to stop there, so we keep running until we make it to the beach. I check to make sure nothing is pursuing us. All I see is the field on fire, billowing black smoke. I turn my attention to Marcus, who has six bleeding cuts down his back from the bird. The cuts run from his shoulder blade to the middle of his back. His shirt is ripped from the birds talons.

"Marcus, you're bleeding badly. We need to get you fixed up." I say. I pull his shirt off over his head, careful not to hurt him. The cut isn't deep and I wipe the blood away with the spare socks. I can see the cuts better. Straight, clean cuts. I remember that salt water is good for wounds. At least, I think it is. I decide to take the risk.

"Marcus, I need you to get in the water. It may sting a little, but it will help your wounds heal." I say. He gets up and gets in. I step in behind him, slowly pouring the water on his back.

"This doesn't feel too good." He says.

"I know, but salt water is good for cleaning wounds." I say. He nods and I keep pouring salt water on his back. I finish and we go back to the sand. I lay the blanket down and Warp him in bandage. I start under his left arm and go over his right shoulder, and continue wrapping until his cuts are completely covered.

"Well there's some good news. We only have 3 other competitors left." I say.

I catch some fish with my sword and start a fire to cook them. We have enough water to last us about two days, but we will have to find some soon.

We eat fish and what's left of the pond roots and onions.

"Tomorrow, we have to find water. I think we should go back to the creek." I say.

"Okay." Is all he says. I kiss his cheek.

"Were going home soon." I say, and then I lay down on the blanket. I wake up at about midnight, and Marcus immediately lies down. He lies on his stomach, not wanting to irritate the cuts on his back. I go and sit by him, watching the sea waves gently crash on the shore.

The sun starts rising and turns the water an orange color. I watch the sun take its place high in the sky, and then I decide to wake Marcus.

I lay on my stomach in front of him, placing my head right in front of his. I shake him and his eyes flutter open. He looks over and jumps up. I put my face in my hands, trying to silence the laughter, but some still escapes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." I say, trying to sound sorry, but I'm still laughing. He is suppressing a smile.

When I finish laughing I suggest we pack up and go to the creek. He agrees and I stuff everything but our weapons in my backpack. I sling it over my shoulders and we leave. We pass the Cornucopia, and I find a loaf of bread lying by it. I think it's a trap, so I don't pick it up. As we are walking, I try to think of who's left.

I know Jake is still alive, because I have been keeping a close eye out for his face in the sky. I can't think of the other two, until I see her come out of the woods in front of us. She has light blonde hair and brown eyes. She sees us, and before we can react, she dashes back into the woods.

"Should we go after her?" I ask Marcus.

He shakes his head.

"No, let someone else find her."

We continue on to the creek. It takes almost the entire day to make it back to the creek. My water container is completely empty, and we save Evan's water bottle, which is still mostly full.

When we reach the creek, we find nothing. The creek is bone dry.

"What happened?" I ask. Before Marcus can answer, the national anthem blares through the arena. Then a voice booms out.

"Hello and congratulations to the remaining five tributes. My name is Fredrick Swill. I would like to invite you to a feast, where we will have something each one of you needs. We have drained all water from the arena, so we would highly recommend your attendance. It will be held at the Cornucopia at dawn. Think hard before rejecting." Then the anthem plays again. I look at Marcus.

"This is going to be a blood bath." I say.

"We can't go. It's not worth it." He says.

"Marcus, we won't last very long with this much water." I say, holding up the water bottle.

"Who knows how much longer we will be in here. We need it." I say. He starts to object, then stops himself.

"Its risky, but I guess you're right. We need to make a plan." He says. I nod.

We decide to get as close to the cornucopia as possible and camp in a tree. We walk until its midnight, and we are almost to the Cornucopia, so we find a tree and climb up. It's concealed by a cluster of other trees, so it's perfect. Marcus takes first watch, and I tell him to wake me two hours before sun rise, so he can get some sleep. That gives me about four hours of sleep.

When he wakes me, I watch. I haven't seen a sign of any other tributes. About three hours later, the sun begins to rise. I wake Marcus.

"Ok, you guard me while I go in and grab enough water." I say. I empty my pack, tying everything up in the blanket, and hang it high in the tree to retrieve later. I will need my pack to put enough water in. We find a large bush by the Cornucopia, and we wait.


	30. Chapter 30

The ground splits open and a table rises. It must have a hundred water bottles on it.

As soon as it locks in place, I run over to the table. I swipe as many into my bag as I can, and quickly. Its filled to the max, so I zip it up and start to run back.

The girl we saw yesterday jumps out in front of me, weaponless. She tries to run, but my sword slices through her before she gets the chance. Her cannon goes off. I keep running, until I'm knocked on the ground by Jake.

I fall down on my side, and quickly try to hop back up, but he grabs me by my bag and pulls me back.

"You're not going anywhere!" He screams. I hold my sword in my hand and spin around, slicing off the fingers he has holding on to my bag. He lets out a cry of pain, and I run towards a tree.

He follows me, but I start climbing up the tree as quickly as I can. My backpack is weighing me down, so I can't go as fast.

He tries to climb, but immediately plummets to the ground. He looks back at the Cornucopia, where Marcus and the remaining tribute are fighting.

He looks up at me.

"I'll be right back, after I take care of your little friend." He says.

I immediately shout Marcus's name.

"Marcus! Run! He's coming!" I shout. He hears me and immediately rushes to a tree, and starts climbing.

The boy Marcus was fighting with sees Jake coming and tries to leave, but Jake pulls out his knife. Jake throws his knife, which lands in the boy's shoulder. The boy rips it out and punches Jake. They throw punches at each other, until Jake gets the knife back and slit's the boy's throat.

His cannon goes off. Jake goes back to the table and gathers the remaining water. He doesn't bother to come back for us, and takes off into the woods. I wait until I can't see him anymore. Quietly, I climb down and run to where Marcus is. I climb up and find him in the tree. He has a bruise on his chin.

I rub the bruise.

"We need to kill Jake. We're this close to going home." I say.

He smiles.

"We need a way to lure him back." He says.

"Stay here. I'm going to go get our supplies." I say, and I climb down. I walk to the tree I put our stuff in, where I find Jake waiting for me. His hand is wrapped in his shirt. A menacing smile crosses his face.

"Well what do we have here. Where's your friend?" He says.

"Coming for you right now." I say, pointing behind him. He quickly jerks around and I grab my sword and open a gash on his arm.

"Marcus!" I scream.

Jake starts running after me, knife in hand. He punches me in the jaw, and I come back up with my sword, slicing open another gash on his arm. I try and stab him through his heart, but he quickly rolls out of the way and grabs my sword right out of my hands.

He squeezes, holding me against him so I can't move. He pulls the sword to my throat. He has it under my chin, and I squeeze my eyes shut, waiting for death. He doesn't make a move though, and I open my eyes, and see Marcus standing there. He has his gun loaded and ready to shoot.

"Go ahead and shoot me. I'll take her with me." He says. I can feel the blood from his arm dripping onto mine. No one moves an inch.

"Let her go. Take me instead." Marcus says. My eyes widen.

"Marcus don't do this. Please." I plead.

"Put your gun down." Jake says.

Marcus throws his gun down by jake. I'm crying now.

"Marcus don't!"

Jake throws me to the ground.

"I'll finish you off next." He says. He walks over to Marcus and lifts the sword above his head. I spot the gun on the ground and quickly grab it. Jake starts to swing the sword, but not before the bullet enters his heart.

He falls to the ground, clutching his chest. Marcus grabs the sword. Jake just lies on the ground, his eyes never leaving mine. Marcus shoves the sword through Jake's skull, pinning him to the ground. His cannon goes off. I run over to Marcus, crying my eyes out, but laughing.

"We made it! We're going home!" I say.

Applause booms through the arena, and Fredrick Swill's voice comes on over the applause.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the winners of the first ever Hunger Games, Annelise Stague and Marcus Williams!" He says. The applause grows, but I don't let go of Marcus.

A helicopter appears in the sky, and a ladder drops down. Marcus grabs on to it, and I grab it behind him. An electric current runs through my body, freezing me in place. I look out over the arena. I'm so happy to be leaving it. We are lifted inside and taken to separate rooms.

"Wait! Marcus!" I shout, not wanting him to leave my side. I start to run towards him, but a door quickly closes between us. Two officers grab me, and strap me down to a bed. I'm screaming my head off.

"I'm fine! Let me see him! Marcus!" I shout. A doctor comes in and gives me a shot, which makes me pass out almost immediately.

When I wake up again, I see that I am in a small hospital room. Its completely white with machines next to my bed. The door opens, and a chef comes in. He hands me a plate with a simple cheese sandwich, some fruit, and a glass of water.

"Where's Marcus?" I ask.

"He's in another hospital room. He's fine, I was just in there to give him his lunch." He says. This relaxes me.

He gets up to leave.

"By the way, congrats." He says. And then he walks out. I eat my sandwich and fruit and my water. I look at my leg where I was cut. The stitches were removed and replaced. The burn on my stomach is less noticeable, but I know it will be there for a while. My jaw hurts. The cut on my arm is completely gone. A strap goes around my waist, keeping me down, so I lay back down.

An iv is in my arm, and a liquid starts to flow through it, then I'm unconscious again.

I wake back up. My stomach is a light pink color from the burn. My leg looks healthier, and my jaw feels much better. The strap that was around my waist has been removed. An outfit is at the end of the bed, so I assume I'm free to leave. I carefully step onto my leg, afraid I'll collapse. But they are strong and steady.

I slip out of the hospital gown and into the clothes. They are the clothes I wore in the arena, but new. I hesitate putting them on, but I'm so anxious to see everyone that I don't care.

I open the door, and find myself in a long hallway. Behind one of these doors is Marcus. I try turning the handles, but they are all locked. I hear someone call my name down the hallway. I immediately recognize the voice.

"Dad!" I yell, running down the hall. I see him with Amber and DeAnne. They are all smiling and I immediately throw myself into my Father's arms. He squeezes me.

"I told you you would win." He says, and kisses my head. I run over to DeAnne and give her a hug.

"And might I add that it was an honor to be your escort." She says. Then I make my way over to Amber.

"Good to see you again." She says, hugging me tight.

When I let go, I ask my father a question.

"Where's Marcus? Why can't I see him?"

"Don't worry, he's with his stylist. We need to get you two ready for your victory interview." He says. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, and me and you are going to have a little talk about all that kissing." He says, but He's sarcastic. I laugh.

Amber grabs my hand. "Come on. You're going to love your dress."

I wave goodbye to them and we travel through the halls. We get into a room and I see a full length mirror. My prep team bursts out of the bathroom. They are all squealing and congratulating me. I thank them and sit down so they can start getting me ready.

They wax all the hair off my body that grew back, and pull my hair up the same way it was on the reaping day. My makeup is minimal, with natural colored eye shadow and blush. They finish and I step in front of the mirror. I notice how much weight I must have lost in the arena, because I can easily count my ribs.

Amber walks up behind me, holding my dress.

"Close your eyes." She says.

I obey and she slips the dress on over my head.

"Okay. You can open now."

I open my eyes. The dress flows to my ankles, with two straps that go over my shoulders and cross in the back. Its sapphire blue and the material makes it look like I'm wearing the actual gem. It glistens and sends off beams of blue when I move. She has me step into shoes that match. They only have a small heel, so I can easily walk in them.

"This is my favorite one by far." I say. She smiles and spins me around.

"Are you ready for the interview?" She asks.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I say. She guides me out of the room and to the top of a grand stair case.

They want you to walk down the stairs and onto the stage. They wanted your's and Marcus's reunion live." She says.

I take a deep breath as Wesley Owens starts warming the crowd up.


	31. Chapter 31

He announces us and I start to walk down the steps. A spotlight follows me. I put on my best smile. Across the giant room, I see Marcus coming down steps directly across from me. I follow the path up to the stage, and immediately throw myself into Marcus's arms. He is kissing me and holding me tight.

"Ok you love birds. Have a seat so we can get started." Wesley says. We don't move, we stay holding onto each other, kissing. This makes the crowd go wild. We finally sit down on a white plush loveseat. Marcus wraps his arm around my waist, practically pulling me onto his lap. I grab his free hand in mine.

We direct our attention to the TV behind us, and they begin playing the highlights of the game. I turn away when Sarah, Evan, and Kennedie's death come on. I see they don't cut any of the kisses.

When it's over, Wesley starts asking us questions. He asks us what it was like, what we thought of who's death, and other questions like that.

"Annelise, was there ever any time you thought that you wouldn't be coming home?" Wesley asks. I think for a minute, and I look up at Marcus.

"There were a lot of times when I thought I was as good as dead. But I had to keep reminding myself every reason I had to win." I say, and give Marcus's hand a squeeze.

"What about you Marcus? Did you ever think you wouldn't make it out?" He asks.

"In a place like that, there are moments when you doubt you will live to see another day. But all it took was one look at Annelise, and I knew I that I wasn't going to let us get killed. That we would make it." Marcus replies.

This gets awes from the crowd, and then they begin clapping and cheering.

"So Annelise, I know everyone loved watching you two fall in love. Tell me what was going through your mind when you first kissed him." Wesley says.

"I don't know really. I always knew I liked something about him, but it didn't really hit me until then. He gave me a shoulder to cry on and made me feel safe. I would have died in that arena many times if it wasn't for him." I say. The crowd awes again.

Wesley tears up.

"That is sweet. Marcus, you said that from the moment you saw her, you wanted to protect her. Why did you think that?"

"It was almost love at first sight. I saw her and something inside me told me that I had to keep her safe." He says. Wesley is almost crying now.

"Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you, America's sweethearts, the victors of the first Hunger Games, Annelise Stague and Marcus Williams!" He shouts. We stand up and bow as the crowd goes crazy. I see some of the people are crying tears of joy, and I hug Marcus and give him a kiss. The crowd cheers louder and they play the national anthem as the president walks in.

A young girl and boy come behind him, both carrying a pillow with a crown on each. The president places it on my head, and one on Marcus's head.

He shakes Marcus's hand and kisses my cheek. I try to act like I'm thrilled to meet him, but honestly I hate this man. He was the one who ordered the creation of the games. He is the one responsible for everyone's death.

We walk out and are taken to the Dining Hall for dinner with the president. Every government official, Marcus and I, and my father and Amber and Marcus's stylist are all there. We sit down and the president enters.

Chefs pour out of the kitchen carrying glasses. They put them down in front of everyone and pour red wine into the glass. I am hesitant to drink it. It reminds me too much of blood.

"To the victors, Miss Stague and Mr. Williams." The president says, raising his glass up. Everyone raises there glasses and takes a sip. I take a small sip and set it down. I grab Marcus's hand and refuse to let go.

I sit and chat with father, Marcus, and Amber while we eat. The president jumps into the conversation, telling us stories. I fake laughter when necessary. The meal is over and we are served with dessert. It's a fancy dessert I have never seen, but it tastes really good. I even have seconds.

We finish the meal and are taken to the airport. We finally get to go home. Once we take off, I feel more relaxed than I have in a while. I invite Marcus into my room to spend the night, because I know my dreams will be filled with nightmares. He lies down on the bed while I get in the shower and wash the makeup from my face.

I step in front of the mirror and look at my face. My jaw still has a slight bruise from where Jake punched me. I look worn out.

I put on some pajamas and step out. Marcus has already changed into a t-shirt and pants. I crawl under the covers next to him, lying on my side, facing him. He is on his side too, and we just stare into each other's eyes. His arm goes around me, and he holds me close to him. I put my forehead on his and he kisses me.

"We'll be home soon." He whispers. I smile and shut my eyes. I give him one more kiss before I fall asleep. Soon, I'll be safe back home. I will get to see my friends and family again. I feel good that I was able to keep the promises I made.

I wake up and Marcus is still sleeping across from me. I give him a kiss and his eyes open. He smiles.

We get up and walk to the dining room, hand in hand.

"Marcus, when we get home, what's going to happen to us? We live an hour away from each other. How are we going to do this?" I ask.

"We'll make it work. I promise." He says.

I hope so. I don't want to lose him, not after everything we have been through.


	32. AUTHORS NOTE

**Hello all! I am sad to say that the story is officially over.**

**But wait, there's some good news! I decided to write a sequel!**

**Lamely named, The History of the Hunger Games 2.**

**So thank you everyone who reviewed and favorite my story! I had a really fun time writing it, and now I will have more fun writing the sequel! Keep a look out for it.**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO ~Alexis2259**


	33. ANOTHER AUTHORS NOTE

Hey y'all(:

So last night I was bored and I thought "Hey, why not read my old stories?" Yea, I know, I'm weird but to be honest, I miss Marcus and Annelise )':

While I was reading, the only thought that was going through my mind was how bad it was. I mean, maybe the plot wasn't horrible, but the writing itself was bad and it was kinda rushed if you ask me.

So I wanted to redeem myself :D

Call me crazy, but I have a perfectionist attitude and the entire time I was reading I was like, "WTF, what was I thinking? I need to fix it!" I decided I would be improving it! That's right, making it better, longer, and improving the writing style. Characters and plots will stay in place, so not too much will change, but a lot will be added. Wait, i guess that is changing it... You get my point. Everything that happened will happen, but more will happen to.

ANYWAYS...

What do you little Hunger Games historians think about that ;D

So if you liked it and would love to see a new and improved version, I'm going to be uploading it on another account. Look for candyapple2259. I figured if I tried my best, I could have the first chapter of the first one up by this time next week. Yea, I plan on doing it for both of them, so that's why this little author's note type thingy is on both.

Happy reading!


	34. Its up!

THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE NEW AND IMPROVED H.O.T.H.G. 1 IS UP UNDER MY SEPERATE ACCOUNT candyapple2259.

GO AND CHECK IT OUT!

And expect Switch Up to be updated by tomorrow btw!

XOXO~ Alexis2259


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